Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story
by iKnowLotsOfThings
Summary: Eighteen years after the tragedy of June 3rd, twin sisters Mabel and Pacifica Pines begin to uncover the well hidden and somewhat forgotten mysteries of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Along with their group of trusty friends, will they be able to uncover the truth and navigate the rough waters of adolescence? What will happen when a new set of foes rise?
1. Chapter 1

**Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part One: Times Are Changing**

Mabel and Pacifica Pines were just your average teenage girls; well as average as two teenage girls who grew up in the small Pacific Northwest town of Gravity Falls, Oregon could hope to be. Their home resided deep in the forest and the twins would often find themselves in pursuit of all things strange that dwelled within it. Luckily, the town was more than happy to oblige with their quests for the bizarre. The twin sisters were the best of friends, even after the final day of competition at the 2032 North American Outdoorsman Games took an unexpected and tragic turn. That fateful late afternoon in Wisconsin, Pacifica Pines was cheering on Mabel as she sawed, hacked and climbed her way through the competition. While both girls had continued on the legacy of the Corduroy name in the event, Mabel was by far the better of the two at it; even breaking a few of the records her mother had held. Tied in points with a fellow teen from Colorado, the competitors were tasked with one final contest to crown a national champion. "Hatchet throwing… I've totally got this one!" the auburn haired twelve year old thought to herself as she picked up the short handle of one and examined it.

Waiting for the event to start, she turned around and spied her sister and mother at the front of the crowd that had formed to cheer her on. A determined look came over the face of Mabel Elise Pines as the official held up a pistol and fired into the air, signaling the start of the contest. For the first few minutes, the girls were neck and neck; each teen landing the miniature axes near the bullseye. Down to her final hatchet, she knew that if she was going to win and be crowned champion that she would have to land a perfect bullseye, as accuracy was the tiebreaker. Drenched head to toe in sweat, she took a deep breath and tried to focus on the mark. The handle of the hatchet slipped from her moist grasp a moment too soon and the young woman knew she had just blown her chance at victory. A loud thud was heard as the head of the axe struck the board and ricocheted off of it. Instead of falling harmlessly to the ground, it instead flew back towards the frightened twelve year old girl. Missing Mabel's head by mere inches, the errant axe continued its trajectory towards the crowd of spectators that stood behind her. Soaring through the crowd, it finally struck an unlucky bystander. The sharp steel edge of the blade made contact with the soft flesh of its victim; cutting though their forearm like a hot knife through butter. A high pitched yelp was heard as Mabel turned around and frantically searched for where the axe had gone. " **OH MY GOD! PACIFICA!** " Wendy Pines shouted as she looked down to see that her daughter had been the unlucky soul to have been struck by the wayward blade. Lying in the grass in front of them was the pale skinned arm and hand of the teen girl she stood next to.

Absolute terror filled the mind of thirty-five year old Wendy Pines, who out of pure shock froze in place for a moment, before snapping out of it and jumping into action. Practically ripping off her trademark green flannel long sleeved shirt, she covered the end of her traumatized daughters arm with the garment and pressed hard against the bloody stump. " **MABEL! COME OVER HERE! YOU GOTTA HELP ME!** " the auburn haired woman shouted to her fear struck daughter as she returned her gaze to Pacifica, who had collapsed to the grass below. " **PACIFICA!** You gotta stay with me, honey!" she tried to encourage the ever-fading brunette as she kneeled down and held her against her body; blood staining her white tank top. "Mom… I-I don't wanna die…" Pacifica said in a terrified voice as tears filled her hazel colored eyes. "Y-You're gonna be fine babygirl… Mommas got ya…" Wendy tried to convince both the scared young woman and herself. Quickly removing her brown leather belt, she handed it to the recently arrived Mabel as the redhead continued to apply pressure to the wound. " **MABEL!** … You gotta wrap this around her arm! Wrap it towards the top of my shirt… Near her elbow and pull it as tight as you can…" the ginger woman instructed her other daughter, who was adorned in a pair of black skinny jeans and a purple t-shirt. A look of determination came over the girl and she replied to her mother's request with a confident nod of her head. Taking the band of leather, she looped it through the buckle and slid it up the bloody remains of her sister's arm; pulling with all her might as she tried to stop the bleeding. Although Wendy had loathed the apocalypse training her father had put her through when she was roughly the same age as her daughters, she once again saw the immeasurable value it held; putting it to use in an effort to save her daughter's life. "You stay here with Pacifica… I'll be right back…" the alabaster skinned woman told Mabel Elise as she sprinted away towards the medical station.

"Paz… I-I'm so sorry for this… I-It was an accident… I swear…" the emotional redhead apologized as she continued to apply pressure to the bloody stump of her twins arm with all her might. "I know it was an accident… I-I can't hold on any more… I-I love you Mabes…" Pacifica said as she passed out from a combination of blood loss and pain. " _ **HELP**_ **!** _ **HELP**_ **!** " the brunette pre-teen screamed at the top of her lungs as most of the crowd around them continued to record with their phones. Much to her relief, her mother had returned with a few paramedics in tow. A look of confusion came across Mabel's face as she saw her mother and one of the technicians drag a presumably heavy red plastic cooler over to the scene. They threw it down on the ground and pried the white plastic top off the rectangular container. Wendy dug her alabaster skinned hands into the frigid contents and began removing anything that wasn't ice from it. Beer and soda cans flew through the air as she tried to make room for the severed arm of her daughter in hopes of preserving it. Wendy reached for the lifeless limb of her eldest child; an arm she had caressed soon after birth and a hand she had held countless times. She placed it into the container and covered it in ice, hoping that it could be reattached and that Pacifica could continue to live the carefree life that every girl her age was supposed to.

Though she had lost a lot of blood, the chestnut haired twelve year old would live to see another day; thanks to the quick actions of her mother and sister. Although the staff at the Milwaukee University Medical Center tried valiantly to reattach the arm to the twelve year old, they were unsuccessful in their efforts. Mabel had become riddled with guilt over the incident; despite being told by both her mother and several doctors that it had been a freak occurrence. Dipper had flown in from the bayou of Louisiana, where he and his team of researchers were hot on the heels of a creature known as a Swamp Ape. Pacifica tried to stay in good spirits, but had inherited her mother's red hot anger. She wasn't so much angry at her twin sister, who she realized had no intent of harming her in any fashion, but at herself for not being more aware of her surroundings. Angry that people would treat her differently from now on and that she would always be looked at as weak and feeble; different from the other girls her age. Mabel, on the other hand, hadn't spoken much since the incident. The usually cheerful girl had become reserved and withdrawn from the things that usually made her happy. Even a trip to a local ice cream shop couldn't bring a smile to the teenage girl's face.

After a week in the hospital, the quartet of Pines traveled home to Gravity Falls, Oregon and returned to their normal lives. Dipper was able to have his good friend Fiddleford McGucket develop a prosthetic arm that was leaps and bounds above what he had been offered by various medical professionals for his daughter. Concerned that it wouldn't grow with her and would look out of place, McGucket had taken great care to make it both removable and upgradable as the young lady continued to blossom into a woman. The end of the arm had been permanently fused to her nerve endings and bones, which allowed for a sensation of both touch and pressure for Pacifica. The rest of the prosthetic attached to that anchor point and for the most part looked no different from that of an ordinary arm; save for the joints and quiet clicking of the servo motors that controlled the motion in her wrist and hand. "I can turn the hand into a grappling hook that can shoot out of it if ya want!" the bearded old inventor asked his now thirtysomething friend. A lot had changed since Dipper first met the slightly eccentric man in the fateful summer twenty years prior, but he knew that crazy old man would always be the same. "Nah… I think she'd be alright with just a regular arm… After all, she's a teenage girl, not some sort of comic book hero or anything… Besides... Grappling hooks were sort of my sister's thing…" he replied. "Fine… Suit yourself…" the grey haired man commented as he finished the prosthetic for Pacifica.

The learning curve had less severe than the twelve year old had figured and she soon went back to resuming her everyday life. Aside from the noises it made, it appeared to operate just the same as the real thing. A few weeks after receiving the arm, she decided that a game of baseball was in order, as she had been a softball pitcher during the school year. Harper and Lucas Bennett were the first to show up for the impromptu match; quickly followed by Mateo Ramirez and his younger sister Alessandra. Rounding out the squad was Grendy Chiu and her father Mason Pines playing catcher. The opposing team consisted of the twin girl's cousins and their mother as the catcher for Team Corduroy. Among the spectators were Claire and Dan Corduroy, Tambry and Nate Bennett, Soos and Melody Ramirez, Grenda and Candy Chiu and the original mystery twins themselves, Stan and Ford Pines. Even at eighty-five years old, the duo were far from the stereotype of what elderly men should be. While they did move a bit slower than in their heyday, the Pines brothers still were very active for their advanced age. Following a few years of traveling the world in an effort to eliminate any means to summon the demon known as Bill Cipher, the pair had settled down in the small Pacific Northwest town. Stan had formally adopted Soos and now spent most of his free time helping out his son and grandchildren at the Mystery Shack. Ford, meanwhile, had taken a teaching position at Gravity Falls High School and had helped to shape the minds of those interested in science and technology. He found that inspiring children to pursue those fields would not only be his legacy, but his impact on society as a whole.

The game was fairly one sided, as the Corduroy team consisted mostly of teenage boys who spent their summers helping their fathers at the family lumber yard at the edge of town, but fun was had by all nonetheless. "Sorry sis, but looks like we win again…" Mark Corduroy said as he rest his hand on his younger siblings shoulder. The red haired man had taken after his father; his burly frame making Wendy look as if she were a child as she stood next to him. "That's only because you, Jonas and Clyde have the entire starting lineup of the 2040 Seattle Navigators on your side. Next time we draw names from a hat…" she said with a chuckle. Indeed, she was right in her assessment of the other team. Mark and his wife had four strapping boys and his younger brother Jonas sported a trio of teens; two boys and a girl. Clyde, who was the youngest of the family, had four children as well; evenly split with two boys and girls. Courtney Corduroy, who was the same age as her twin cousins Mabel and Pacifica, walked up to the pair.

"Oh God… Here comes trouble…" Pacifica deadpanned as she caught sight of the red haired tormenter they called family. "Well, well, well… If it isn't the freak twins…" she insulted the girls. "Shut up Courntney!" Pacifica said as she stared her down with her hazel eyes; the cold gaze looking as if it could burn a hole through the snotty twelve year old. "Don't tell me what to do… Y-You… Cripple!" she shot back. "Hey! Leave my sister alone…" Mabel said as she now stood shoulder to shoulder with her twin. "Or what? Lil' Miss Butcher is gonna cut off my arm too?" she taunted as the auburn haired twin let out an audible gasp; not quite believing that her cousin could be that cruel. A flash of rage came over Pacifica as she heard the incredibly callous insult. Lunging forward, the chestnut haired pre-teen grabbed her cousin by the throat with her prosthetic hand and lifted her about a foot off the ground. The red haired tween felt a sense of panic race through her mind as she knew that she had gone too far. The oldest of three children, Courtney had become a bit of a bully to both her younger siblings, cousins and kids her age. She quickly concluded that picking on a girl with a cybernetic arm probably wasn't the best move she could have made.

"What the hell is going on here?!" a familiar voice bellowed from the far end of the field. It was none other than thirty-five year old Wendy Pines, who now sported shoulder length locks, running towards the scene. " **Pacifica Kathleen Pines!** You put Courtney down this instant!" she shouted as several other people began to observe the scene. Instead, the angered teen formed a smirk on her face and squeezed tighter; the once red face of her cousin now turning a more lavender hue. "Pacifica! Please! Y-You're gonna kill her!" Mabel pleaded as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Good… She's been a pain in our ass since kindergarten… High time I did something about it…" she said in a disturbingly calm tone of voice. "Pacifica! I said to **PUT HER DOWN!** " Wendy sneered at her daughter. "Fine!" the chestnut haired teen said with a sigh as she threw her red maned tormenter to the ground. Courtney writhed around on the loose dirt that covered the ballfield; her petite hands wrapped around her throat as she gasped for air. "It's gonna be alright honey!" Courtney's mother exclaimed as she came to her fallen child's aid. Jonas Corduroy soon joined his wife as they tried to tend to the shaken teen girl.

"I want an explanation right now! And it better be a damn good one…" Wendy said in an angry tone as she glared down at her daughter. "I-I… Courtney was teasing us… A-and she called Mabes a butcher because… Well… You know… I-I got tweaked and just lost it…" the brown haired young woman said as she broke down and began to cry. "You need to do something about that out of control daughter of yours!" a shrill voice exclaimed as Wendy soon recognized it. Megan Corduroy had gotten up from checking on her daughter and now stood face to face with her sister-in-law. While the two were not the best of friends by any stretch of the imagination, they did seem to get along alright at family functions. "Excuse me?!" Wendy shot back with an offended tone. "You heard me! Pacifica could have seriously hurt Courtney just now! You need to do something about it!" the short, sandy haired woman practically commanded as she made eye contact with the taller ginger woman. "C'mon Meg… We all know who started this shit!" Wendy retorted. Over the years, she had noticed that Courtney Corduroy had tended to bully not only her daughters, but most every kid their age in town. There was not a doubt in her mind that her niece had started the conflict, but still she realized that her daughter could have handled it better. "Well… At least Courtney didn't get physical… That was all Pacifica…" the average built woman pointed out to her older in-law. "I can't deny that… She did have your daughter by the throat… I'll talk to her and tell her that violence is not the answer… But you have to have a serious talk with Courtney and tell her that she needs to be nicer to her cousins… That she should think before she speaks... We're supposed to be family after all…" Wendy said, hoping to guilt Megan into talking to her daughter about her rampant bullying. "Alright… I will…" the sandy haired woman relented before turning her attention back to her daughter.

Wendy practically dragged Pacifica by the ear as she led her away from the scene so that they could discuss what had just transpired. Meanwhile, Mabel was joined by her friends Harper, Lucas, Mateo, Grendy and Allie. "What happened, dude?" Mateo asked as he chomped down on a sub sandwich. Dressed in a pair of flip flops, khaki shorts and a plain green t-shirt, he definitely resembled his father Soos. "Oh, you know… Courtney just being her usual jerky self" the redhead replied as she swept a bit of hair from her face on the sunny late summer afternoon. "Well… Yeah, we kinda figured that… But what made Paz go all agro on her this time? She doesn't usually let her get to her like that…" asked a somewhat concerned Grendy; the fifteen year old worried about the younger girl. "Well… Pacifica told her off… A-And then Courtney called Pacifica a cripple. I told her to lay off and then she asked if I would cut her arm off too if she didn't… That's why she got so mad and tried to choke her out…" Mabel recalled as the group listened intently; the redhead's hazel eyes filling with tears as she recalled the callous remark her cousin had made. "Well… I'm glad she finally got what was coming to her if you ask me…" Grendy commented. Mateo, Allie, Harper and Lucas all nodded in agreement with the petite fifteen year old.

Meanwhile, Wendy had led Pacifica to the front porch of the Mystery Shack, where they took a seat on the well-worn wood planks. "Look… I know that your cousin Courtney is a bully and can be a real jerk … But you have to be the bigger person… I-I mean… You could have really hurt her… That hand of yours is stronger than you think. You could have snapped her neck like a twig…" Wendy said to her daughter as she looked down at the ground below. "Mom, I know that… Mr. McGucket told me that I had to be careful… It's just that… Well, she called me a cripple and Mabel a butcher… I got really angry and the next thing I knew, my hand was around her throat…" the brunette said as her hazel eyes began to tear up. "Well… Those were some downright horrible things she said… But you have to be the bigger person. I know she can be a-" Wendy said before being cut off by her daughter. "A BITCH! HELL YEAH SHE IS! AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT! ME, MABEL AND EVERY OTHER GIRL IN THIS TOWN IS SICK OF HER SHIT!" the twelve year old exploded. The auburn haired mother was shocked by the language her child used, as she had tried her best to not curse around them. Surely she had picked it up from someone else. "Language!" Wendy scolded as she locked eyes with the angry pre-teen. "Sorry Mom… I-It's just that she's so mean… And nobody does anything about it… That and I'm pretty sure that you said that Mabel and I have to stick up for one another when someone is being mean to one of us… That family sticks together… Just like you and your brothers… A-And like how Dad and Aunt Mabel used to…" she explained. For once, Wendy Pines had nothing to say. She couldn't disagree with what her daughter had just said, but at the same time wanted to keep the peace in her family. After mulling over what to say for a moment, she finally began. "You're right… You are supposed to be there for each other… And, well… Courtney _is_ a bitch… Like, I love your Uncle Jonas and all, but his daughter is outta control…" the freckled woman commented as she rest her arm on her daughter's shoulders. "Hey Mom?" the twelve year old asked. "Yeah?" Wendy responded with curiosity. "Next time I'll just walk away… I promise…" the brunette said as she turned and hugged her mother; the duo taking in the calm of the forest in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, here is the next big story that I've been working on for the better part of a few months. Tales Of The Flame & The Axe will take place fifteen years after the events of Pause The Moment. The epilogue of Pause The Moment and this chapter are set twelve years in the future to establish the girls and the world around them, but the story will mostly take place when they are fifteen. The girls know who they were named after, as the epilogue in Pause The Moment showed, but they still don't know the full circumstances surrounding their demise. I will eventually give all of the Corduroy in-laws and cousins names, but if you have any ideas, feel free to PM me. You will see some characters from past stories making a comeback as well, so be on the lookout for them in upcoming chapters. I'm really excited about this next part of my story, as I've had this idea for a while now and now get to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy! Until next time… -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Sofi Tukker/NERVO – "Best Friend"

Alice Merton – "No Roots"

Bleachers – "I Miss Those Days"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	2. Chapter Two

**Tales Of The Flame The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Two: Descent**

Thanksgiving had come to the small Pacific Northwest town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Like many others around the nation, families gathered to celebrate all that they were thankful for. Nearly twenty years had passed since the tragedy of June 3rd and while the pain of the event had lessened somewhat over time, the scar would always remain. Having grown considerably throughout the years, the Pines and Corduroy families relished the opportunity to catch up and see how their relatives were doing. Totaling over fifty attendees, the event hall at the Mystery Shack played host to the holiday feast, as there was plenty of room. "Mark, Laura… So good to see you guys!" Wendy Pines greeted her brother and sister-in-law as she looked up from a large wooden table she was setting for the event. Mark had taken after his father; a towering and burly man with a large red beard. His wife, by comparison, was of average build and sported wavy black hair. "Where are the boys?" the auburn haired hostess inquired. "They're bringing the coolers from the truck…" Mark explained as he wrapped an arm around his wife. A few moments later, a quartet of tall teens came bursting through the doorway. Archibald, Bradford and Thomas Corduroy carried the large and presumably heavy coolers with ease, while their youngest sibling Dale struggled a bit with the task. Wendy took a few minutes to catch up with her brother and his family, as they lived about an hour away they didn't get to see each other very often.

Mark and his family were soon followed by Clyde, who was flanked by wife Emily and his children Owen, Walker, Cassie and Maureen. Clyde had joined his brother in taking over their uncle's logging camp an hour away from Gravity Falls, so the cousins were more like brothers and sisters. Jonas, Megan and their children had arrived to the gathering and the Corduroy family was nearly all reunited. "Jonas… Meg… Good to see you guys again…" Wendy said in a less than enthusiastic tone of voice. Following the ballfield incident between the preteen cousins, the two families hadn't really talked to each other as much as they used to. Megan was still livid with the fact that a family member would assault her daughter and was less than impressed with Wendy and Dipper's response to the incident. Jonas reluctantly took his wife's side, as he thought it best to do so even though he didn't necessarily agree with her. Courtney Corduroy was the middle child of the couple and surely helped to reinforce the stereotype surrounding it. While her mother had talked to her about treating her cousins better, it was mostly lip service to appease her sister-in-law. Nick and Tyler Corduroy kept to themselves as they waited for their sister to stir things up yet again. Much to their surprise, she was cordial to both her Aunt and Uncle before walking off to join her other cousins in the living room of the Mystery Shack.

"Look… Courtney… I-I'm really sorry for what I did a few months ago… It was wrong and I just wanted to apologize for trying to pop your head like a zit…" Pacifica began as she stood face to face with her cousin. "No you're not…" the red maned thirteen year old sharply replied. "Courtney… I truly am… What you said wasn't nice… In fact it was downright cold… But I wa-" she continued to argue before being cutoff. "The only thing I'm sorry for is that I even wasted my time talking to a freak like you… You're pathetic…" Courtney shot back as Pacifica's hazel eyes began to fill with tears. She felt like punching her right in the face, but remembered the talk she had with her mother. Instead, she just stood there and took insult after insult. "Hey! She can't help that she lost her arm… So, just lay off, man!" another voice called out. It was none other than Cassie Corduroy, the usually shy and timid fourteen year old daughter of Clyde and Emily. "What if it had happened to you? Would you want her making fun of you?" the average built blonde continued. "B-But she's weird… Just look at her…" Courtney argued as she stomped her foot into the ground in a bit of exasperation. "We're all weird. We're all human beings… I mean, if you wanna go there, I can tell them about what makes you weird…" Cassie shot back. Maureen and Mabel had returned from grabbing a popsicle when they spied the two teens going at it; this time joined by their cousin Cassie, who tended to stay out of things. "Again…" Mabel sighed as she walked up on them, only to overhear her blonde cousin standing up for her twin sister. "I-I told you that because I trusted you… You wouldn't dare!" the auburn haired preteen said in a shocked tone of voice. "Oh, I will if you keep it up… She can't help it… Just, like, you couldn't with your thing… So, if you don't apologize and leave her alone, I'll tell everyone…" Cassie issued her ultimatum; confidence dripping from her voice. "Fine… Uh… S-Sorry that I said those things… I guess blondie is right… You can't help it… I-I'm going to go see if the grownups need any help…" Courtney relented in a tone of voice that oozed with defeat. "Apology accepted" Pacifica said as she wrapped her cousin in a hug. Much to her surprise, the redhead returned the gesture before walking away.

"Cassie! That was amazing!" Mabel shouted as she wrapped her up in a tight hug; both girls nearly tumbling to the carpet below. "I-It really wasn't anything… I-I just got fed up with her shit… That's all…" the oldest of the female cousins humbly replied. "Well, it meant a hell of a lot to me… That's for sure" Pacifica replied as she wiped the tears from her hazel eyes. "Thanks Paz…" the shy teen said as she grabbed her arm and looked down at the ground. "So… What is it that changed her mind so quick? Whatever it is, it must have been good to shut her up like that…" Maureen noted. "Look… If you want me to tell you, then you're outta luck. I made a promise and I am a woman of my word" her sister replied. "Well, either way, I'm happy you're my sister…" the strawberry blonde Maureen said. The quartet of girls began to walk towards the hall, where Mr. Mystery himself was set to dust off his old DJ headphones and start up a dance party for the pre-teen girls while the boys huddled around the TV and watched the annual football games. Cassie pulled on the tan sleeve of Pacifica's sweater, causing the twelve year old to come to a halt. "Hey… I-I just wanted to pass this bit of knowledge along to you in case she doesn't keep her word… Which knowing her, she won't" the blonde said with a chuckle. "What's that?" the brunette tween asked. "When Courtney was born… She had an extra accessory…" Cassie chuckled. "A whositwhatsit now?!" Pacifica inquired. "She was born with a tail… They cut it off when she was little, but you can totally see the scar on her lower back…" the blonde informed her relative as she lifted up her blue cardigan and pointed to where it would be on her tormenter. "Really?! HA! Now that's funny!" the tan sweater clad girl quipped. "No… It's not… It's no different than your arm…" Cassie quickly scolded her younger cousin. "You're right… Maybe that's why she picked on me… It reminds her of her imperfections" Pacifica pondered. "Yeah, she's always so concerned with how she looks and how she acts… What if it's just a cover for her insecurities? That she feels she had to belittle everyone just to keep the focus off of her?" Cassie agreed as they caught up to Mabel and Maureen.

The feast was impressive to say the least. Three large turkeys had been prepared for the meal and even that didn't feel like it would be enough to slay the appetite of the revelers. Wendy recalled one particular Thanksgiving when her mother had made a monstrous bird just for her father to consume. Although she was only about six years old at the time, the memory had stuck with her. Wendy, Melody, Clyde and Emily decided that having the food served in a buffet style was more appropriate for a gathering of this size; especially after last year, when Jonas dropped a full bowl of mashed potatoes and nearly caused a full blown riot. The cousins were seated at a smaller table and most everyone there could sense the tension between Pacifica, Courtney and now Cassie. The boys carried on about sports and video games, while Maureen and Mabel had a lengthy debate over whether scratch and sniff or puffy stickers were better. Wendy had walked over to check in on the table and paused as she took in the scene. Sometimes she was convinced that Maureen was the triplet she never gave birth to, as she and Mabel shared nearly the same personality. "It really is a shame that Clyde and Emily don't live closer…" the auburn haired woman thought to herself. Deciding that the peace was being kept at the table for the time being, Wendy returned to the adult table. "Got ya a leg!" Dipper announced; proud of the fact that he had scored the prized piece of meat for his wife. "My favorite! Aww, thanks Dip!" the grateful woman said with a mouthful of food as she had already taken a bite of the tender leg. Dipper couldn't help but chuckle at the freckled woman as she continued to chow down.

Pacifica had nearly mastered the use of her prosthetic arm, but every once in a while a 'glitch' as she came to call them, would happen. Fiddleford McGucket had built a substitute arm that was far beyond what most medical researchers had been able to produce, but even his wasn't a replacement for the real one. Holding a fork full of mashed potatoes, she was about to place it to her mouth when her hand began to spasm uncontrollably. The food flung off the utensil and was sent on a direct trajectory towards Cassie. While Pacifica grasped her arm in an effort to get it under control, the potatoes landed on the blonde preteen's face and sweater. Courtney and Maureen began to laugh at the sight of Pacifica's flailing arm across the table from them. Meanwhile, Cassie wiped the fluffy whipped side dish from her hair, face and cardigan. While she was upset momentarily, she realized that it was an honest accident. The boys looked on with anticipation as they were certain a brawl was fixing to start at any moment. Pacifica shot up from the table and sprinted towards the door as the adults turned their attention to the commotion. "Paz! Wait!" Courtney called out as she realized how she had once again managed to hurt her cousin's feelings. Several of the adults made their way over to the table as the sound of the door slamming rung throughout the large room.

Tears streaming from her hazel colored eyes, Pacifica Pines sprinted away from the Mystery Shack and into the forest; the chilly late November air nipping at the distraught girl. "She was right! I am just a freak! I-I will never be normal again!" she said to herself between breaths as she continued to run away from the scene of her embarrassment. "Maybe I'll just do everyone a favor and leave! I-It seems like they'd be better off without me messing up their lives anyway…" she continued to converse with herself as she ran deeper and deeper into the woods. Finally stopping to catch her breath, she looked around in hopes of seeing anything that looked familiar. While she had spent lots of time exploring the dense forest both with her parents and sister, she didn't seem to recall this particular location. "I even messed up running away!" she yelled; her voice echoing off the trees and into the ever encroaching night. "Great! Just great! Now I'm going to freeze to death in the middle of the goddamn forest!" she exclaimed. "Nah! Not gonna die tonight! I-I just have to remember all that wilderness crap everyone's been hammering into my head since I could understand words…" she thought to herself. Using signs such as moss growing on tree trunks and the twinkling stars above, she soon found herself at the base of ridge that surrounded the town of Gravity Falls. Her teeth chattered as the temperature continued to drop; the young woman burying her hands into her pockets, hoping to find some hint of warmth. The brunette had nearly given up hope and resigned herself to fate when she spied an opening in the wall of rock. "Maybe it'll be warmer in there… Anything's better than this…" she said to herself as she entered the cave in search of a safe place to spend the night.

"I-I didn't mean to laugh at her… It just kinda happened…" Courtney said as she tried to defend herself; numerous sets of angry eyes focused on the blonde preteen girl. "That's not important right now… We need to find her…" Wendy said as the other adults nodded in agreement. "She can't have gotten far… But it's getting late and it's already pretty chilly out there…" Mark pointed out with concern in his voice. As a father himself, he could only imagine what his sister and her husband were feeling at that exact moment. "We'll split up into a few groups to cover as much ground as possible" Dan commented as he took control of the situation. Three groups started off into the forest in search of the distraught girl. "Hold on baby… Momma's gonna find ya…" Wendy tried to reassure herself as she walked hand in hand with Dipper. The younger siblings stayed behind, as the last thing the family needed was for more kids to go missing. Tyler, Owen, Walker, Maureen, Courtney and Dale sat in the unusually quiet meeting hall; hoping that their cousin was alright. "Mom… What if they can't find her? What if she dies because of me and what I did?" Courtney said as she began to softly cry. "They'll find her… Your Grandpa Dan is one of the best trackers to have ever lived and he trained your Dad, Aunt and Uncles…" Megan Corduroy said to her daughter. "Yeah… And it wasn't just you who laughed at her when her arm went all wonky… I am just as guilty as you are…" Maureen said as she took a seat on the hardwood floor beside her cousin. "Yeah… Me too…" Owen said as he tried to calm down the blonde girl.

Pacifica walked deeper and deeper into the cave as she continued to look for a warm place to spend the night. She was about to give up hope when she saw something that jogged her memory. "Quartz! I-I can use this to maybe start a fire!" she said with excitement as a plan began to form in her head. Walking out of the cave, she began to search for anything that could be used for kindling. Filling her pockets with dry grass and her arms with twigs, a confident smile formed on her face. Taking a small rock that rest on the ground, she stuck the wall of the cave; the bangs echoing all around her. "I really hope there isn't a bear in here…" she thought to herself as she was finally able to break a piece of the potentially lifesaving stone from the wall. Taking the rock she had used to free it, she split the quartz into smaller pieces still; trying to get a few sharp edges on the stone. Holding the sharp edge of one of the rocks to a twig she had found, she began to scrape off bits of it to make a base. Next, she struck the stones together, hoping to see a spark. She was nearly about to give up when she saw one fly off the stones and land on the pile of wood shavings below. Crossing her fingers, she waited a moment to see if any smoke would rise from the tiny pieces of timber. Little wisps of smoke emerged from the shavings and they began to smolder, but Pacifica knew that her work was far from done if she were to survive the night. Adding additional shavings and tending to them became her sole purpose in life as she tried to remember what was next. "Think! Think! Think!" she scolded herself. Hearing the crinkling grass in her pockets, she recalled the next step that her mother had shown her a few years prior. Taking the dried grass, she formed a small ball of it and then wrapped it up with some of the longer pieces before placing it on the end of a small twig. Holding it firmly against the smoldering shavings, the ball began to ignite. Holding it up close to her face, she began to blow into it as the grass started to glow. A flame appeared and Pacifica knew that she had managed to save her life. After lighting a pile of twigs on fire, she briefly left the cave to find more fuel for it. Returning a few minutes later, she saw that her hard work had paid off as the twigs began to crackle. "Like I said… I'm not gonna die tonight…" the young woman said as she observed the now roaring fire with a look of satisfaction on her face.

Wendy's phone started to ring and she quickly dug her glove covered hand into her pocket to retrieve it. Unrolling the paper thin device, she saw that her father was calling. "Did you find her?" Wendy asked with an air of desperation in her voice. The sun had set long ago and she knew that much like the light, hope was fading fast as well. "I'm sorry sweetheart… I'm calling off the search for the night… No sense in someone else getting hurt or lost in these kind of conditions…" Dan said in a defeated tone. He wanted to continue searching for his granddaughter, but realized that even his skill set was no match for finding an emotionally disturbed preteen girl. "SO WE'RE JUST GIVING UP?!" Wendy shouted into the phone; shocked that her father had come to the decision so quickly. "Look, honey, we're not giving up… In fact, the State Police are sending drones as we speak. They have thermal imaging cameras that can scan hundreds of acres at a time. They're using everything they've got to find Pacifica… I promise. But for now, we need to regroup back at the shack, okay?" Dan tried to reason with the emotional woman he called his daughter. "Alright… I-I'll let the others know…" Wendy replied as she began to weep. "I love you Gwendolyn…" Dan said as he ended the call. "He didn't find her, did he?" Dipper said in a crestfallen voice as his hazel eyes began to water up. "Nope… M-Mason… I'm scared… What if something happened to her… I-I don't think I can live with myself if I lose her…" the redhead said as she fell into the slightly taller man she called her soulmate. "They'll find her…" Dipper said as he let go of his emotions and joined his wife in sobbing.

Pacifica began to explore the cave; hoping to not stumble upon a hibernating bear, wolves or mountain lions. She was about to return to beside the warmth of the flames when something caught her attention. The flickering light of the fire had briefly shone onto some sort of shiny object and Pacifica's curiosity was sparked. What she laid eyes upon was a brilliant gemstone encrusted onto a large grey book. Picking up the surprisingly heavy tome, she brought back over to camp she had hastily set up. Fully illuminated by the orange glow of the flames, she could see that the diamond shaped gem was deep purple in color. "What in the world is this?!" Pacifica thought aloud as she flipped open the cover to reveal a handwritten introduction. _'The contents of this book_ are of a most serious nature and therefore must be treated as such. _A collection of the spells most powerful curated from throughout the multiverse lie within_. _The ability to create things most wonderful or destroy with force never before seen are all possible with this guide.USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!_ ' it read. "I doubt this is nothing more than a load of utter crap, but I guess it's a good way to waste some time" Pacifica said as she began to flip through the pages on the frigid November night in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, this chapter was one that I wrote nearly a dozen times and deleted constantly as I wasn't completely happy with it. Between that and just plain not having the time to sit down and write, it ended up delaying this chapter a bit. This will be the last chapter where the twins are twelve as there will be a time jump to when they are fifteen. As always, feel free to leave a review. Until next time - iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Jay Som – "Baybee"

Editors – "Munich"

First Aid Kit – "Postcard"

Motionless In White / Jonathan Davis – "Necessary Evil"

Nathaniel Rateliff The Night Sweats – "You Worry Me"

Dirty Heads / The Unlikely Candidates – "Celebrate"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	3. Chapter 3

**Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Three: Two Steps From Hell**

The brilliant light of the rising sun filled the cave that Pacifica Pines had taken refuge in the previous night; managing against all odds to survive the frigid temperatures of the late November eve. Chirping birds welcomed the day with their various songs as the brunette girl began to stir, much like the rest of the forest around her. "Ugh! Wha?! Where am I? Oh yeah! The cave…" she said to herself as she had momentarily forgotten where she was. Rubbing her eyes and letting out a drawn out yawn, the preteen sat up and noted that the once roaring fire she had set was now nothing more than a smoldering pile of ash. Turning around, she spied the mysterious book she had found deep inside the cave; using the tome as a makeshift pillow in order to keep her head off of the rocky floor. She had spent a few hours tending to the fire and glancing over the supposed spells before surrendering to her tiredness, but now she was eager to research it further. "I still can't believe this was just left here… I mean, this gemstone alone has to be worth a good chunk of change…" the brunette commented as she stood up and shook the leaves from her sweater.

After answering a very urgent call from nature and extinguishing the campfire, she set off in search of the Mystery Shack. "Man, everyone is probably gonna be pissed at me for storming off like that… For ruining Thanksgiving… They're all probably worried sick about me too… I hope Mabel is okay. And what about Mom and Dad? Damn it! I really screwed up this time!" she berated herself as her hazel eyes filled with tears. Walking to the top of a small ridge, she was able to get a better sense of where she was in the expansive woodlands. Although the Mystery Shack itself was hidden beneath the canopy of tall timbers, the spot where it resided stood out like a sore thumb in the otherwise endless sea of evergreens. After about an hour of hiking, the log cabin like structure appeared in the distance; Pacifica stopping to collect herself before barging in. "Just apologize… Tell them that your glitch embarrassed the hell out of you and that you felt this almost instinctual need to just get as far away from everyone as possible…" she tried to encourage herself. In all honesty, she had felt that way the previous evening. Her face had become hot, her heart felt as if it would break free from her prison-like ribcage, her throat dried, tears filled her eyes and an overall feeling of panic filled her mind. Pacifica didn't know what was going on, but she felt if she had remained at the gathering that it may very well be the end of her time on Earth. That was why she ran. She had to get away. And now that feeling was coming back to her as she stood at the edge of the tree line. Unknown to the young woman, she had inherited the anxiety disorder her mother had tried to hide so well herself when she was Pacifica's age.

Wendy paced back and forth on the hardwood floor of the Mystery Shack event room as she furiously awaited any kind of update from the Oregon State Police on the status of her daughter's disappearance. A cocktail of concern for the well-being of her daughter and her anxiety disorder had kept her up all night, causing the ginger woman to become more than a bit irritated. Dipper tried his best to stay up with his wife, but had succumbed to his urges to rest, much to the annoyance of Wendy. "I DON"T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO CALL IN EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE DAMN STATE! I WANT EVERY LAST OFFICER YOU HAVE LOOKING FOR HER!" she shouted into her phone as the guests began to assemble one by one in the large room. " **FUCK!** " the auburn haired woman exclaimed with frustration as she threw her phone down; her emerald eyes filled with tears. "Honey… They're trying the best that they can… We're going to head back out as soon as everyone is ready… We will find her. I promise" Dipper said as he pulled his wife into a reassuring embrace; running his hand through her fiery mane. Although he had said those words in a confident tone, in all honesty, the chestnut haired man was unsure of them. He wanted to react in much the same manner as his lover did, but knew that he had to put on a brave front in order to give her some much needed hope. The fact that his daughter had become so distraught that she ran away tore him up inside. All he wanted to do was wrap the troubled young woman up in a hug and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Meanwhile, Mabel had just stepped into the shower; the warm water filling the air with steam. As the cascade fell from the showerhead, they mixed with the tears coming from her eyes. All she wanted was to see her twin sister once again. Feeling her legs become weak beneath her, she sat down in the tub as she wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them close to her; weeping openly as the cleansing water continued to relentlessly pelt her alabaster skin.

Courtney Corduroy had gotten little sleep, as she had felt mostly responsible for what had happened. Not only had she ruined the rare family gathering, but her actions may have very well indirectly led to the untimely demise of her cousin. "If she dies out there… I-I don't know what I'll do…" she thought to herself as she ran a brush through her long auburn locks. Maureen felt horrible as well, as she too had laughed at her cousin's misfortune. She did so not out of malice, but was simply reacting to what she perceived to be a comical situation. " _Hey Courtney…_ " the strawberry blonde girl sheepishly said as she stood next to her. " _Hey…_ " the redhead replied in a sullen tone as she acknowledged her temporary roommates presence. "Look… We both messed up. Bad" Maureen said as she picked up her blue brush and ran it through her shoulder length hair. "Yeah… I-I didn't mean it… I just thought it was funny… I wasn't trying to make her feel bad or anything. I mean, I know I have this whole reputation for being a shitty person and all, but I'm trying to change. I'm not so good at it though" she replied as she placed the brush down on the dresser that sat beneath the mirror in the small bedroom. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. It's a process… As long as you realize that what you did was wrong, that's a start" Maureen encouraged her as she placed a caring hand on her shoulder. "I know… But what if she died out there b-beca-" she began to reply before being cut off by her younger cousin. "Because we laughed at her? I know… I feel _really_ bad" the ten year old completed her cousin's thought as both looked down with crestfallen expressions.

Cassie Corduroy wiped the long dried tears from around her eyes as she walked to the bathroom. She grasped the brass doorknob and turned it, only to be met with a wall of steam that filled the air like a dense springtime fog. A little disappointed that she would have to wait for a shower, she settled for a quick splash of water to her face to at least wake her up. She was about to turn the faucet on when she heard the soft cries of the inhabitant of the shower. "Y-You okay in there?" the blonde asked as she approached the tub where the noise was coming from. She was met with silence and knew that she had two choices. One was that she could simply respect the privacy of the person in the shower and exit the bathroom; leaving them alone to deal with whatever they were feeling. The other was to see who was in the shower and check in on them. She chose the latter and carefully pulled back the edge of the shower curtain. She was greeted with the sight of her cousin Mabel sitting on the floor of the tub; her head buried in her knees as she continued to cry. "Mabel… A-Are you okay?" Cassie asked with genuine concern as she let go of the curtain and let it fall back into place. " _N-No… I-I'm not…_ " she replied, sweeping the drenched red hair from her face. "Do you need some help?" the blonde asked as she once again pulled back the vinyl privacy barrier and took a better look at her younger cousin. Her usually alabaster skin had taken on a light pink tone as the hot water of the shower had cascaded onto her. " _Y-Yeah… That would be nice…_ " she sheepishly said as she lifted her head. Normally, the twelve year old girl would have shouted at such an intrusion of her privacy, but in this instance, it was welcomed.

Cassie cut off the water and extended her hand to the seated girl. Mabel would have been mortified for anyone to see her in such a state under any other conditions, but at the current moment it was the furthest thought in her mind. The redhead knew that her cousin wouldn't judge her for needing a helping hand after suffering an emotional breakdown in the shower and took the petite hand she offered. Standing up, she grabbed her red hair and wrung it out as Cassie retrieved a tan towel from the hook on the back of the door. Handing it to her cousin, Cassie approached the sink and turned on the faucet; splashing her face with a handful of cold water. "Thanks for that…" Mabel gratefully said as she wrapped the cotton around her slender frame and stepped out of the tub. "No problem… I know you'd do the same for me…" Cassie said as she looked up from the sink and gave her a knowing smile. "I can't even imagine how you're feeling right now…" the blonde observed as she began to shed her sleep clothes in preparation for a shower. "I-I don't know… I still feel like this is all my fault… I-If I had been more careful, she wouldn't have lost her arm in the first place… I-If she dies out there… I-I don't know how I could go on… _I don't even think that I'd want to_ " Mabel said as fresh tears formed in her hazel eyes. "Well, first of all, she's not going to die out there… She's a smart girl. She's alive… I just feel it. Second of all… You have to let it go. What happened was an accident… You both know it" Cassie said as she turned on the shower. "I guess…" Mabel replied. "Hey… Look at me… She's gonna be alright. We'll find her" the blonde said in a confident tone as the two looked each other in the eyes. Mabel exited the bathroom and Cassie stepped into the shower. As the cascade of warm water fell over her she let out a sigh. "I hope so…" she said as the room once again began to fill with steam.

The gathering of family members split into four search parties who were all equipped with communications devices so they would not become lost as well. "Alright everyone! Each of us will take a quadrant of the map… By my best estimation, she couldn't have gotten more than three miles away before she had to stop for the night. Remember to stay in contact with one another and let us know when you finish your search area so I can assign you the next one" Dan instructed as he stood in front of the crowd. He was about to head to the door and begin the search when the knob twisted and the wooden door opened up, revealing the chestnut haired preteen. Although looking a bit rough, she seemed to be unharmed. " **PACIFICA!** " Wendy shouted as she rushed over to her daughter, nearly tackling her to the ground. She was soon joined by Dipper and Mabel, who joined in the embrace. "We were so worried about you!" Dipper chimed in. "I-I know… I'm sorry about all this…" Pacifica said as she began to tear up. "That's alright… What's important is that you're okay!" Mabel commented as she looked her twin sister in the eye. A sense of relief filled the room as everyone was grateful that she had returned. "How did you manage to survive out there? It was downright frigid last night kiddo!" Dan inquired. Pacifica spent the next few minutes regaling her night alone in the woods and what she had to do to ensure her survival. A sense of pride filled the patriarch of the family, as he was glad that some of the lessons he had passed down from his ancestors had helped save his granddaughters life.

After catching up with her Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, the brunette sought out her mother. She needed to tell her about how she had felt when she experienced the glitch. How she felt as if she were going to die. To ask if she needed to go to the hospital and get it checked out. "Hey Mom… C-Can we talk for a minute?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Of course honey…" the ginger woman replied. "Well… Can we go somewhere a bit more private? I'm not really comfortable talking around everyone else right now…" she informed her mother. "Yeah… Let's go outside…" Wendy said as she took her preteen daughter's hand and led her away from the gathering of family, who were celebrating her safe return. Taking a seat on a well-worn sofa on the front porch of the Mystery Shack, the nervous girl thought of how to start the conversation. Luckily for her, Wendy had an inkling of what this might have been about and she decided to start off the talk. "So… Is this about how you felt when you had that glitch?" the flannel clad woman began as she looked down at her daughter. "Yeah… I-I was pretty embarrassed by the whole thing. What hurt the most was that Maureen and Courtney were laughing at me… A-And I thought I pissed Cassie off by covering her in mashed potatoes… A-And I even saw Mabel fighting back the urge to laugh… I-It made me feel bad" she admitted. "Well, of course you did… These are people who love and care for you… A-And to see them laughing at something that you can't help had to have hurt you a lot. You have every right to feel the way that you're feeling" Wendy reassured the young woman. "I-It's not just that it hurt my feelings… It made me feel bad… Like, physically bad… My heart was beating really fast… I felt dizzy... A-And scared. That's why I ran away. I felt like I had to get out of there. My head was spinning" the preteen explained.

Wendy thought about what her daughter had just said. It reminded her of how she had felt when she got too stressed out as a teen, which happened a lot more frequently than she cared to admit. Realizing that she should have sought out help back then instead of putting up the front that she did, she decided to get her daughter the help she may not realize she needed. "Honey… I-I know what you're going through… I-I think it might even be my fault" Wendy said in a crestfallen tone. "Why would you say that Mom?" Pacifica questioned. "Well… I-I… Oh boy… This is kinda hard to admit… A-And I was hoping you'd be older when I told you and your sister this… B-But I have an anxiety disorder. I have an anxiety disorder. That feels good to say. Sorry… Just a load off my mind…" Wendy said between nervous chuckles. A confused expression resided on the face of her daughter as she tried to sort out what her mother had just revealed. She had rarely seen the freckled woman act this way and she was genuinely concerned for her. "That feeling of panic you felt… That uneasiness… That is what I felt all the time when I was your age. I didn't know what it was, so I just tried to ignore it. To, like, push it away and act chill. That was the wrong choice. As I grew up, it just got worse. After we lost your Aunt Mabel and Aunt Pacifica, it got really bad…" Wendy said as her emerald eyes became misty. Rolling up her pink and white flannel sleeve, she held her forearm up to her daughter. "So you got these tattoos to express what you couldn't say?" Pacifica inquired as she glanced at the familiar artwork that adorned her mother. "Nah… I-I actually got them to cover something up…" she said in a flat tone as she traced the path of the self-inflicted wound; the scar beneath it being noticed by the brunette for the first time.

"A-An accident?" Pacifica asked in a hopeful voice; convinced that her mother was far too strong of a person to have tried and harmed herself. "No… I did this on purpose. I was feeling guilty about not doing enough to save them. I-I took my knife… A-And I cut myself. I was feeling down and just wanted it all to go away. I don't expect you to understand, bu-" she explained before being cut off by her daughter. "I do. More than you know…" Pacifica said with a sigh as she rolled up her sleeve. At first her forearm appeared to be perfectly normal, but taking the other arm of her sweater, she began to rub the underside of it. She had used foundation to cover the light scars that adorned her skin and as it came off, Wendy was taken aback. " _Oh honey_ …" the redhead softly said as tears began to escape her eyes. She felt guilty that her daughter had probably inherited her disorder and was traveling down the same path she was at that age. "It started after the accident. I-I don't know why I do it… I-It sort of feels good, I guess…" the twelve year old tried to explain. "I am _so_ sorry that you feel this way… I-It's my fault… B-But I got help… And I promise that I'll get you whatever help you need…" Wendy said in soft voice. "I know Mom… I know…" Pacifica said as the two embraced; tears streaming down their faces. Unknown to them, Mabel had heard everything. Curious to where they were going, she followed them. From just around the corner, she had eavesdropped on their very personal conversation. A look of pure shock was displayed on her face as long held secrets were revealed by both her mother and her twin sister on a brisk late November morning in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** These chapters are going to take a little longer to come out as I have less time to write than in the past. I am trying to get a chapter a week out, but it may be longer than that as my work and personal life are very busy right now. So, like mother, like daughter. How will they both move on now that they know about their conditions and self-harm? Will Mabel confront her mother and sister about being left out of the conversation? And just what does that book that Pacifica stumbled upon have to do with everything? Answers to all those questions and more that you didn't even know that you had, next time in Tales Of The Flame & The Axe. Until then, thanks for reading! -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Arctic Monkeys – "Do I Wanna Know?"

Long Neck – "Elizabeth"

Anna Burch – "2 Cool 2 Care"

U.S. Girls – "Mad As Hell"

Superorganism – "Everybody Wants To Be Famous"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	4. Chapter 4

**Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Four: Into The Fire**

" _I can't believe it… M-Mom tried to kill herself?!_ " Mabel quietly said in disbelief to herself as she leaned up against the side of the Mystery Shack; a cool breeze blowing through the late November morning air. " _And Pacifica's been cutting herself?! How did she hide it so well? I mean, I'm practically with her twenty-four, seven… She's my fucking twin and still I had no idea that she was doing that shit!_ " the auburn haired girl softly berated herself as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. An immense feeling of guilt came over the young woman for the second time that morning as she thought of how the accident at the Outdoorsman Games had changed her sister's life forever. Despite being reassured countless times from both her family and countless others, she still felt as if had been her fault. Now, she also felt responsible for the fact that Pacifica had become so depressed about her condition that she was intentionally harming herself. "I'm the worst sister ever!" she said in a faint voice as she sat down, pulled her knees into her chest and began to break down again.

Pacifica and Wendy had returned to the event hall, where a very festive attitude filled the air. Grateful that the chestnut haired girl had managed to survive the night in the unforgiving Central Oregon forest despite the odds not being in her favor, the Corduroy and Pines families decided to resume their Thanksgiving celebration. Most everyone had a great time, but Mabel had kept to herself for the rest of the day. After the party had ended and everyone had cleared out of the event hall, the Pines family began to clean up. Wendy looked around as she tried to find any discarded plates, cups or food that may have been left behind. Glancing to the far side of the room, she spied Mabel seated in a chair. "Hey Mabey-Baby! Can you help me out with something?" she called to her daughter as she began to fold up one of the portable tables. Mabel continued to sit in the chair as her mother wondered if she had heard her. "Mabel, can you help me?" she once again asked, this time in a slightly louder tone, only to have the preteen fail to react for a second time. "Maybe she has her headphones in or something?" the ginger woman thought to herself as she began to walk over. "Mabel?" Wendy asked for a third time as she now stood only feet from the seated child. "Yeah, I heard you…" the redhead finally answered in a very annoyed tone. "Well? Why didn't you answer me then?" Wendy inquired as she observed a cross expression begin to form on her usually cheery daughter's face. "Because, I didn't feel like it… _Problem?_ " she once again replied with attitude. "Oh yeah… _Big problem_ …" the alabaster skinned mother shot back as she squatted down to look at her daughter in her hazel eyes. "Well, that sounds like _your_ problem… Maybe _you_ should go share that with Pacifica… I'm _sure_ she'd care about it… I, on the other hand, couldn't give less of a shit…" Mabel said as she did a hair flip and turned her head away from her now irate mom. "MABEL ELISE PINES!" a bewildered Wendy shouted; Pacifica, Dipper, Melody, Soos and Mateo all turning around to see what the commotion was about.

Tears began to fill the emerald eyes of the thirty-six year old mother of two as she was hurt by her daughter's total lack of respect for her. It was incredibly out of character for the usually happy go lucky twelve year old and she was taken aback by both the language and tone she used. The sting of the young woman's words hurt more than any wound she had ever suffered before. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to apologize right now" the ginger woman said as she fought the urge to break down and cry. She was met with silence as Dipper and Pacifica arrived at the scene; Melody, Soos and Mateo exiting the hall in order to give the family privacy while they dealt with the matter. "Mabel, honey, what's the problem?" asked Dipper as he took a knee in front of his insolent child. " _She_ knows what she did…" the redhead said in a curt manner. "Mabel, I really don't… Maybe if we talked about thi-" she began before being cut off by the preteen girl. "Sure… _Now_ you wanna talk… Well guess what? Why don't you go peddle your fake ass apology somewhere else, because I'm not buying what you're selling…" Mabel said with a sneer as everyone's jaws dropped at the blatant disrespect for her mother. "Mabel, that's your mother you're speaking to!" Dipper exclaimed with a bit of disgust in his voice. "No… That is a _liar_ that I'm talking to… A-A _mother_ wouldn't keep things from her children like she did… A _mother_ wouldn't only tell one of her kids about something that's important…" the auburn haired girl shot back. Suddenly it all became clear for Wendy as to why her daughter was so upset. To be honest, she completely understood as well.

"Mabel… Honey… I-I was going to tell you… I promise that I was. I-It's just that it kinda came up when I was talking to Pacifica… That's all. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise…. More importantly, I-I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings…" Wendy said as tears escaped her emerald eyes and began to trickle down her freckled cheeks. Mabel mulled over the apology for a moment. She was still a bit angry about the whole thing, but the love she had for her mother far outweighed that feeling. It hurt her deeply to see that she had caused the thirty-six year old to cry and she wanted to make it right. "Mom… I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I let my anger get the best of me… I should have known that you were only trying to bond with Pacifica… That you were going to tell me too. I-I just guess that I was jealous that Pacifica has been getting all of this attention today while I've kinda been an afterthought. It doesn't make what I said and did right, but that's what was going on with me. God, I'm a pretty horrible person, aren't I?" the preteen said as she began to cry. "Honey, jealousy is just a part of growing up, especially when you have a twin. You feel like everything should be equal. That one shouldn't know something important while the other is seemingly left out. Trust me, I know. There were times when I was jealous of your Aunt Mabel and I'm certain there were times that she was jealous of me. So, while I am upset with how you've acted today, I get it…" Dipper said as he put a hand on his daughter's shoulder; thinking back to how those feelings from his own sister nearly caused the end of the world almost two decades prior.

Pacifica took a seat beside her sister and looked her in the eye as she began to speak. "Mabes… I-I'm sorry that you had to find out this way" she said in a soft voice as she wrapped her twin up in a hug. "It's okay sis… I-I just want you to be okay… I had no idea you were feeling that way… Kinda makes me a shitty sister, doesn't it?" the redhead commented. "Nah… I didn't want you to know… I was embarrassed… A-And I know you already feel bad enough about everything… I didn't want you feeling like this was your fault too, because just like my arm, this is not your fault… It's me. I'm just dealing with all this in a really shitty way… But Mom is going to get me set up with someone who can help me work through this…" the young woman said as a smile formed on her face. Dipper was still a bit out of the loop, as he was not aware that his daughter was cutting her arm in an attempt to cope with her feelings. He had figured she was just feeling insecure about her prosthetic arm. "Well… If we're being honest with one another, there's something that I've been keeping from all of you…" Mabel said as she took a deep breath, hoping her family would understand. "I-I've been feeling really bad lately… Like, I dunno, my feelings are just cranked up to eleven and they start to control me. I-I was crying in the shower this morning because I was afraid that Pacifica had died…" the auburn haired preteen said in a trembling voice before continuing. "It wasn't just a normal sad feeling… My heart was beating outta my chest and I felt like I was locked inside my body… I couldn't move, even though the water was starting to burn me…" she said as she slid the purple t-shirt she was wearing down her shoulder, revealing a few blisters from the hot water. She was grateful that her cousin had come in when she did, as it had likely saved her from suffering much more severe burns to her skin. "Oh my God…" Wendy said in a hushed tone as she held her hand up to her mouth. "Cassie came in and helped me get out of the shower… B-But if she hadn't… I-I would have just sat there. I just kinda froze up… A-And I'm scared…" the young woman said as she fought back tears.

Dipper knew the feeling all too well. In the weeks and months following Weirdmageddon, he had suffered from similar crippling anxiety attacks himself. His parents, who had no idea what had triggered them in their son, had ended up getting him help in dealing with them. Dipper had tried to be honest with his therapist, but at the same time had withheld most of the reasons for why he was feeling the way he was, as he was certain that they would not believe him. Thinking on his feet, he recalled an old movie about some kids finding a dead body in the woods and decided to use that as an excuse. Luckily, the doctor had bought it and he had been prescribed medication to help him cope. He had a strong feeling that his daughter was suffering from something similar and was determined to help his daughter out. "I-I know how you feel… I wasn't much older than you when I felt similar feelings… Like my body was locking up on me and my mind was moving a mile a minute with fear… Weirdmageddon really fu-" he explained before suddenly stopping. Wendy and Dipper had made a pact to shield their children from the supernatural and just plain weird things that their town had to offer, in hopes that they could have a normal childhood. He hoped that his slip up had gone unnoticed, but unfortunately for him his children had inherited his keen sense of observation. "Weirdmawhatsit?" Mabel and Pacifica asked in unison. "Oh, uh… Nothing… Never mind all that…" the chestnut haired man said as he tried to change the subject. "No… You said something about that Weirdmageddon thing…" Pacifica said. "Yeah… I've heard other people mention it in passing too… What is it?" Mabel joined in. "Look… It's been a long day… We've got, like, a million phone calls to make to get you girls set up with some people who can help out and then we still have to cle-" Wendy said before being cut off. "We've both found out things we never knew about you guys… Like how Mom tried to kill herself and how Dad had crippling anxiety… And guess what? It's beginning to affect us… So I think you guys need to come clean. Just be honest with us… It's time we knew the whole truth… About this town… And about both of you" Pacifica said as she looked her father in the eye.

Dipper and Wendy were silent for a moment. Both knew that this day would come, but had hoped that it would be at least a few more years. "Okay…" Wendy said as she turned and faced her husband. "We need to tell them… They're right. We've been hiding this for far too long…" she explained to her lover. "Yeah… I guess so… It had to happen eventually" Dipper said with a sigh. "You guys are old enough to know… I mean, your Pops and Aunt Mabel were your age when they first came here and started seeing all this crazy stuff" the auburn haired mother said to her twin daughters, who now shared an excited expression. While they had overheard people talking about the event from time to time, they never did get an idea of what had truly happened that summer nearly two decades ago. Now, they were about to get the whole story straight from the source, and they were eager to see what all the secrecy was about. "First, we've gotta get this place straightened up though…" Wendy pointed out. "Okay!" Mabel cheerily replied as she and her sister got up from their chairs and began to do so. "Well… This is gonna be fun…" Dipper said in a sarcastic voice to his wife. "C'mon… You were, like, a total badass back then… You're going to sound like a superhero to them…" Wendy said as she pecked the uneasy man on his lips. "What do you mean by 'were'? I'm still a badass… Right?!" the hazel eyed man asked with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Of course you are…" she said with a chuckle. Dipper was unsure of how to take the comment. "Well… If I recall correctly, you did jump onto a flying Eyebat and fought it a couple hundred or so feet in the air… So if anyone is a badass, it's you…" the flannel clad man quipped. "Oh yeah! I had totally forgotten about that… I could have died! God I was dumb back then… I thought I was invincible…" the redhead recalled. "You weren't dumb. You were brave. That's part of the reason I fell in love with you… Because you were never afraid to get your hands dirty… No matter what, you were always up for whatever crazy thing that Mabel and I roped you into… You saved us so many times…" Dipper said as the pair took a seat in the chairs that their daughters had occupied only moments before.

Over the course of the next hour, Dipper and Wendy Pines reminisced about the first summer that they had met while their daughters cleaned up the event hall. "Hey Mabes, check it out…" Pacifica said as she folded up a steel chair. The two looked at their parents, who were cutting up like a couple of teenagers on the far side of the room. "They're so cute!" Mabel gushed as she saw her mother playfully paw at her husband's shoulder. "That's the kind of love that I want to have someday…" Pacifica said in an adoring tone. "I know, right?! They're soulmates…" Mabel agreed with her sister. It had been a while since Wendy and Dipper had just sat and talked. "Oh gosh! Remember when I punted Lil' Gideon and broke Ghosteye's arm?" the ginger woman asked her husband. "Oh yeah… That snap both frightened me and turned me on at the same time…" he joked. "Well… If we're talking about times that we scare-roused each other, then your moment would be when you caught that guy who stole my hat in Portland… I was so afraid you were going to kill him, but at the same time I was so hot for you… Just that you would get that angry at someone that you'd beat them within an inch of their life for disrespecting me… I-I'd never felt that way about anyone before… If I'm being honest, I would have taken you right there and made him watch if it were up to me" she chuckled as her lover's face turned a crimson hue. "What about that time we got into that bar fight at Skull Crusher's because that guy grabbed my ass while I was bent over the pool table? Good thing my Dad walked in at the right time and pulled you off of him… I mean, you were choking him out with a pool cue like a wrestler using a kendo stick!" Wendy continued. "Well… He wasn't too thrilled that his daughter had a guy backed up into a corner while brandishing a broken beer bottle… Although it was funny that the dude pissed himself!" Dipper laughed. "A-And he tried to play it off by saying it was just sweat… I was all like, ' _Okay… Yeah, sure thing buddy!_ " the freckled woman said as she joined her husband in laughter. "What happened to us?" Wendy asked her husband in a somewhat wistful tone. "We grew up Wen… We have kids now… We can't just go tearing up the town and risking our lives like we used to back in the day…" the brown haired man explained. "Yeah… And now that we're going to tell our daughters about all that, I'm kinda worried that they're going to be just as reckless and headstrong as we were…" the ginger woman added. "Well… All we can do is be there for them, just like our friends and family were…" Dipper said as he hugged his wife on a late November afternoon in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, lots of secrets have just been revealed to the new Mystery Twins. Will they be able to handle the fact that they're parents battled an interdimensional dream demon and won? Or that while they were victorious, it came at a great cost to them? How will Dipper and Wendy manage to recall the events of what has come to be known as the Great Forgotten War? Wil the girls go in search of the supernatural oddities that both the town and their parents have tried to shield them from for their entire lives? And just how does the book that Pacifica found play into all of this? Answers to all these questions and more that you didn't even know you had in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story. Until then, thanks for reading and reviewing! -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Bring Me The Horizon - "Can You Feel My Heart"

Mansionair - "Astronaut (Something About Your Love)"

Papa Roach - "To Be Loved"

I Prevail - "Alone"

Foo Fighters - "Outside"

Flyleaf – "I'm So Sick"

Skillet – "Whispers In The Dark"

Papa Roach – "Born For Greatness"

Korn – "Twisted Transistor"

Nickleback – "Feed The Machine"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	5. Chapter 5

**Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Five: All Falls Down**

The car ride home from the Mystery Shack was a short one for the Pines family, but for Pacifica and Mabel, it felt like an eternity. Eager to finally uncover the secrets that Gravity Falls had buried nearly two decades ago, the twin girls were bursting with excitement. The onyx sport utility vehicle pulled into the gravel driveway that led to the two story home. Wendy had barely come to a stop when the rear doors flew open and the girls leaped out. Sprinting up the front stairs, Dipper couldn't help but chuckle at how eager the red and brown haired preteens were to get inside and settle in so that they could hear all about the summer that their mother and father had met. "I wish I had their energy…" Wendy quipped as she entered the home. The quartet spent the next few minutes getting settled back into their home before they would assemble in the living room. Dipper searched the bookcase for a blue colored tome that he hadn't removed in some time. "Going all out for this, huh?" Wendy said as she poured herself a glass of pinot grigio in the kitchen. "Well, to be honest, I kinda have to remind myself of what happened. It was so long ago and since we burned the original journals at the end of that summer, I had to go off of my own personal journal and Mabel's scrapbook" the thirty-three year old man said as he removed a second book from the shelf; this one a bright pink in color.

After getting some drinks and snacks, the quartet finally was ready to begin. "Alright… So first off… Some of the things I'm about to tell you may seem downright strange or unbelievable, but trust me, this all happened. Your Mom can back me up on that…" the brown haired man said as he opened his journal and began to read. Wendy held the scrapbook of her late sister-in-law and would show the girls the pictures in it as her husband read the recollections he had jotted down. Afternoon turned to evening as they had gotten to the beginning of how Weirdmageddon came to pass. Both Mabel and Pacifica were spellbound as they heard of the heroic feats that their Father, Aunt, Mother and many others had done. "And then your Aunt Mabel was placed inside an orb where her every wish and desire existed. She was pretty much a God in that fantasy world and for a while she was content with staying there forever…" Dipper finished as he closed the book. "We'll break for dinner and then we can finish…" he said as he stood up from the armchair he had been seated in for the better part of four hours. "I can't wait to hear about how you defeated that Bill Cipher guy!" Pacifica exclaimed as she helped her mother set the dining table. "Yeah! He seemed like a downright jerk!" Mabel agreed. "That's putting it lightly..." Dipper commented.

Wendy removed a small square package from the pantry and placed it into the hydrator. "Sometimes I miss cooking the old school way…" she said to Dipper as the girls sat down to eat. "Yeah, but you have to admit, having dinner ready in less than two minutes is pretty boss!" he replied. "Hydrator, twelve soft shell tacos..." she instructed the device from across the room. The meal was relatively quiet as both girls practically inhaled the soft shelled tacos; eager to get back to the story. The rest of the evening involved the retelling of the events of Weirdmageddon. The girls could hardly believe that Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Ford, Wendy, Soos, Pacifica and other townsfolk had stood up to the evil being. "So, Bill was about to kill Aunt Mabel. That's when the Grunkles pretty much tricked Bill into going into what he thought was Great Grunkle Ford's mind, but since they were identical twins and they had swapped clothes, he actually went into Great Grunkle Stan's mind. Ford took the memory erasing gun and wiped Stan's memory… Since Bill was inside Stan's mind at the time, he was destroyed, along with all of his memories… It took some time, but eventually Stan' s memory was restored and we spent the last day of our summer having fun around a bonfire" Dipper concluded. "Whoa! I have, like, a million questions…" Mabel said as she looked over at her father. "Yeah! Me too!" Pacifica agreed. "Okay… Shoot!" the chestnut haired man said as looked up from the journal. "Do you think that he'll ever come back?" Pacifica asked with concern in her voice. "No… At least not in the form he was… I think…" he said in an unsure tone. "Were you guys ever scared that you were going to die?" Mabel hesitantly asked. Dipper and Wendy looked at each other. To be honest, they hadn't really thought about it at the time, but looking back it became obvious that there were countless times where they could have met their maker. "Well… To be honest… No. We didn't really have time to be scared. All I was worried about was my family and friends" Wendy bluntly answered. "What about you Dad?" the redheaded preteen inquired. "Uh… Well, like your Mom said, we didn't really have time to think about that… When people you love are in true danger, you don't really think about yourself… You think about how you are going to save them… Even if you get really hurt or worse doing so… That was my take on the whole thing at least…" Dipper said in a serious tone, which his children had seldom heard before.

With that, the retelling of the harrowing tale of Weirdmageddon drew to a close. Dipper placed both books back onto the top shelf, where it would be difficult for his daughters to reach. "Well… I hope that you two understand now why we had to keep all this secret… I trust you'll do the same" the chestnut haired man said to his children. Both girls nodded, knowing that they had rarely heard their father this serious about anything before. "Alright then, why don't you two get ready for bed?" he asked in the softer tone they were used to. The preteen girls got up from their seats and went upstairs as Dipper took a seat beside his wife, who was finishing her third glass of wine for the evening. "Well, that was tough… But now they know and as Grunkle Ford always says, ' _All knowledge is good knowledge_ '…" the hazel eyed man said as he did his best impersonation of his Great Uncle. "Well, the dude's been right about a ton of things… But _then again…_ " Wendy said as she took another long sip of wine. "What?" Dipper asked as he wanted his wife to conclude her thought. "It's just that… Wasn't his quest for knowledge what led Bill into our dimension in the first place?" the ginger woman pointed out. "I mean, yeah, but everything worked out in the end… And besides, if none of that ever happened… Would Mabel and I have even come here in the first place? Would we have met?" Dipper questioned. "I-I don't like to think about that kinda stuff… All I know is that I halfe a wonderful hu-husband… A kick ass house… An t-two beautiful she dudes… And the room is starting to spin…" the redhead said as she leaned back on the couch and clutched her head. "Yeah… I think you've had enough… Let's get to bed…" Dipper said as he stood up and lent a hand to his tipsy wife. "Okay… Y-You're the bestest guy ever… Ya' know that?" Wendy slurred as she stood up and swayed a bit. "So I've heard…" the chestnut man chuckled. "Yeah… All m-my girlfriends at my job place are all like, 'How'd ya' get so l-lucky…' An I'm all like, 'He's the whole pa-package… He's great in bed… An' I mean, _really_ great in bed… Like, so good tha' I get mine a few times b-before he gets his… _If ya' know wha' I mean…_ " Wendy said with a drunken chuckle. "Well… Thanks for painting me in such a positive light… I guess…" Dipper said as a deep crimson hue befell his cheeks. "An' you takes care of the girls… Y-You're a great father… Th-They love ya'…" Wendy continued to say as she was guided by her husband up the wooden staircase.

After changing into their pajamas, the husband and wife went to sleep. Wendy's head swam with the drunken thoughts of years gone by. Unknown to her, she had begun to giggle in her sleep as she recalled the time that Stan had caught her shoplifting from the Mystery Shack. Her father had been on her case about breaking into places and the crowd she was hanging out with, which annoyed her to no end. She thought that if her father had such a low opinion of her, then she might as well prove him right. She shoplifted a few chocolate bars and snow globes from the gift shop of the Mystery Shack, which did not go unnoticed by Stan, as he had installed security cameras long ago. Stan had called the teenage girl into his office and had her take a seat. "Wendy… We gotta talk. I saw you stealing chocolate bars and snow globes from the shack" he said in his trademark gravelly voice. Wendy squirmed in her seat as she realized that she had been caught red handed. "Oh, I'm so sorry Mr. Pines… I know, I know you're gonna fire me an-" she began to apologize as her eyes teared up. "NO! NO! You've got a gift! You're the best thief I've ever seen!" he exclaimed as he leaned over the wooden desk as the expression on the freckled girl's face changed from one of fear to one of confusion. "You and me! I've been waiting my whole life to discover someone who's as good a pickpocket as I am! Don't you realize we could go out and knock down a bank or something! We could do this big time!" the older man continued to beam as a smirk formed on her face. "Really?!" she asked with eagerness. "You're not ready… _Yet!_ " he explained to the young woman.

For the next few days, Stan trained Wendy on how to be a small time crook as they knocked over the hotdog on a stick stand at the mall and hotwired cars. Wendy was a quick study and soon became proficient beyond Stan's wildest dreams. "Stan, this stuff is small time, okay?! We are going to steal the colossal diamond from the Gravity Falls History Museum! Think about that! We could split the pieces, wear them around our necks and look like ballers!" the redhead said with great enthusiasm. "Y-You're starting to scare me a bit there Wendy… Even I've never stolen a diamond before. Are you crazy?!" Stan asked in an unsure voice. "Yeah I'm crazy! Do you want in?" she inquired. "Yeah! I do! Let's steal a diamond!" he replied with great vigor. The following night, the pair of thieves broke into the museum and were mere feet away from their target when Stan threw out his back trying to sneak under a laser beam, which the much more younger and limber fifteen year old was able to do with great ease. "Oh man! You alright?!" she asked from the other side of the security measure. "Wendy! You gotta steal it without me!" he encouraged her. Blubs and Durland were the only two remaining obstacles remaining in her way. Much to her good fortune, they were standing with their backs to her. "Sorry dudes…" she thought to herself as she whacked each officer in the back of the head with a collapsible baton she had been carrying on her, knocking them out instantly. Placing her gloved hands on the precious gemstone, she was about to make her getaway when a large pair of paws grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to the ground; handcuffs soon slapped around her petite wrists. "Ms. Corduroy… Come with me" the burly man said as he led her away to an awaiting police car. A few hours later, she found herself in an interrogation room with an officer who looked to be in his early twenties. If she were not in the predicament she currently found herself in, she would have considered asking him for his number. "We're going to call your Dad…" the officer said in a serious tone. "No! My Dad! H-He can't find out about this!" she pleaded. The officer was about to place the phone call when a furious pounding was heard on the door of the room. "Hey guys! Uh, cops! I actually wanna tell ya that this girl… She was working for me the whole time! This wasn't her idea! I'm the mastermind! It was my idea to steal the diamond… Take me away! S-She, she wishes she could be a mastermind thief like me…" Stan adamantly stated. "Yeah… I guess were kinda stupid by thinking a teen girl could pull off a heist like this… Ms. Corduroy, you're free to go…" the officer said.

A few days later, Wendy came to visit Stan in jail, where he would serve a seven day sentence. "Why did you do that for me? You're gonna have to be here for, like, days…" she asked the orange jump suit clad man. "Look… I'm old. I've already had a life. You can still make a choice and not be an idiot like me! Like, okay, you've got fast fingers! Use it to play an instrument or something! Stop stealing or else you're gonna get trapped here! Now get outta here!" Stan said to the young woman as tears formed in her eyes. She swore that she would never forget the act of selflessness that Stan had performed for her. Taking his advice, she did find an instrument to play. Lying under a sheet in the basement of her home was an upright piano that was coated in a thick layer of dust. For the next few days, she maliciously cleaned the dark Cherrywood instrument from head to toe. "I wonder how long this thing has been down here?" she asked herself as she blew away the dust from the keyboard and pulled out the stool from beneath it. Placing her phone on the music rack, she looked up a tutorial for how to play. Selecting a rather simple song to start out with, she placed her digits to the board and began to perform. Dan Corduroy, who had just arrived home from work, sat down in his trusty recliner and took a slow sip from his highball glass of whiskey he had poured for himself. It was a well-earned treat after a long day of work at the lumber mill that he looked forward to enjoying once again. Placing the glass on the side table, he leaned back and let out a sigh as he kicked off his work boots. The burly man's meditation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a piano coming from the basement below. "What the?!" he said to himself with shock, as the tones of the musical instrument hadn't graced the air of the log cabin in over six years. Jumping out of the chair, Dan pulled open a drawer on the side table and removed a large leather bound book from it. 'Corduroy Family Bible' it read in brilliant golden letters as he clutched it against his barrel like chest and hesitantly walked towards the door that led to the basement below.

Wendy had taken to the piano like a fish to water and a sense of ease came over the often troubled girl. "Huh… This is kinda relaxing… What do ya' know? The old codger was right for once…" the ginger teen chuckled to herself as she searched her phone for a more challenging song. A brown box resided on top of the piano and the young woman's curiosity was piqued. It was full of song books, which looked to be several decades old. One in particular stood out to her as she sorted through them. 'Songs Of Ireland' the green book read; the cover adorned with the image of an old stone castle upon the sea. Opening the book up, she opened to a page where a bookmark had been placed. 'Galway Bay' the song was titled. "Welp, let's see how bad I can slaughter this song…" Wendy said as she cracked her knuckles and began to play. Having heard the music momentarily stop, Dan thought it was over. He was about to turn around when the tunes began to start again, this time with a somewhat familiar voice accompanying them.

" _If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,_

 _Then maybe at the closin' of your day_

 _You will sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh_

 _And see the sun go down on Galway Bay._

 _Just to hear again the ripple of the trout stream_

 _And the women in the meadows making hay,_

 _To sit beside the turf fire in the cabin_

 _And watch the barefoot gossoons at their play_

 _For the breezes blowin' across the sea from Ireland_

 _Are perfumed by the heather as they blow._

 _And the women in the upland diggin' praties_

 _Speak a language that the strangers do not know._

 _For the strangers came and tried to teach us their way._

 _They scorned us just for bein' what we are._

 _But they might as well go chasin' after moon beams_

 _Or light a penny candle from a star._

 _And if there's to be a life in the hereafter –_

 _And somehow I'm sure there's going to be –_

 _I will ask my God to let me make my heaven,_

 _In that dear land across the Irish sea._ "

The young woman sang in an almost angelic voice. Wendy had never really given much thought to her singing, often just doing it when goofing off with her friends, but even they had commented on how pretty her singing voice was. It would be a few more years before she shared her talent with the rest of the town at the first ever Mabel Pines Memorial Karaoke Contest on what would have been the fallen girl's eighteenth birthday. Dan was beside himself as he made his way carefully down the stairs, hoping not to scare away what he was certain was the ghost of his late wife Kathleen. A brilliant light shone through the small basement window, casting everything in a golden colored hue as the sun began to set. Small dust particles danced among the beams of light, creating a hauntingly serene scene as Dan finally set his eyes upon the source of the music. Much to his surprise, it was his daughter Wendy, who was adorned in her trademark green flannel shirt and skinny blue jeans. Tears came to his eyes as he sat on the steps and watched his daughter sing the old song. Unknown to her, it was one of the last that her mother had played before her passing. Finishing the song, she sat in the silence of the room for a moment. Although she wasn't one hundred percent sure, she had an inkling that the instrument belonged to her mother. She felt a strong connection to it and decided that she would be spending a lot more time in the basement from now on. Pulling the sheet back over the piano, she laid a petite hand upon it and let out a longing sigh. Glancing up at the staircase, she spied her father, who had begun to weep a bit at the scene. "Dad… I-I… Uh…" she stuttered as she had rarely seen him in such a state. "Ya' know… Your mother loved to play that thing. Up until the day she died she would play that thing while you kids were in school and I was at work…" Dan said as he wiped away a tear and sniffled. "Uh… What's with the Bible?" the freckled woman asked as she took a seat beside her father. "Oh! Uh… Well… Ya' see darlin'…" he stuttered as he searched for an answer. "You thought the ghost of Mom was haunting us, weren't you?" she said with a laugh. "M-Maybe! So what if I did?!" he defensively replied. The young woman was unaware of how Kathleen Corduroy had truly passed and Dan intended to keep it that way. "Dude, don't worry… Ghosts only come back and haunt people if they died tragically or, like, are seeking vengeance or something like that… Dipper taught me that. So, as much as we'd both like to see Mom again, I don't think that'll be for a while…" she said in a calm voice as she rubbed her upset father's back. He let out a sigh, which Wendy took to be one of sadness, but in reality was one of relief that she hadn't pressed the issue any further.

Meanwhile, down the hallway, Pacifica and Mabel could hardly sleep. "I can't believe that all really happened!" Pacifica squealed with excitement. "I know, right?! Mom and Dad fought a feakin' demon and saved the town! How badass is that?!" Mabel agreed. "Do you think we'll ever get to do anything cool like that Mabes?" Pacifica asked as she let out a yawn. "I dunno… I hope so though…" the redhead replied as she too yawned. "Oh, by the way… What's up with that old book you dragged back from the woods?" her sister asked. "Wait… How'd you know about that?" Pacifica asked with curiosity. "Dude, I'm your sister… There's very little you can sneak by me…" the freckled young lady explained. "Now dish, girl…" she continued. "Well… I found it in the cave I spent the night in when I got lost… I don't know what it was doing in there, but I figured it was too important to just leave there. Turns out I was right… Apparently it's some sort of interdimensional spell book… Or so it claims…" the brunette commented with a scoff. "Neat! Have you tried any yet?!" Mabel excitedly asked. "Nah… Haven't had the time to yet… But let's totally try it out tomorrow!" she replied. "Alright sis! Goodnight!" the ginger preteen said as she rolled over. "Goodnight…" Pacifica replied as the Pines house fell silent on a late November evening in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, I know this chapter kinda went all over the place and all, but I'm trying to transition to this being a Mabel and Pacifica story. That being said, I'm trying to fill in more of Wendy's backstory as she becomes a bit of a secondary character and takes a backseat to the teens. My next chapter may or may not be a time jump of three years… I'm still undecided. Either way, the new Mystery Twins will be heading out on their first adventure soon enough. Stay tuned… -iKLOT

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	6. Chapter 6

**Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Six: Ignition Point**

Summer had come to the small Pacific Northwestern town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Mabel and Pacifica Pines were glad that school was finally over and that they could spend the next few months hanging out with their friends. Always an early riser, Pacifica was once again studying the mysterious book she had found abandoned in a cave the previous fall. While her sister had found out about the tome, she kept it a closely guarded secret from everyone else as she was sure that she would never see it again if it were up to her parents. Although they had caved and divulged the lost legends of the sleepy town to the two teen girls, they had no intention of reliving them once again. While Mabel and Pacifica had both read from the nearly three hundred page book and tried some of the spells, only the brunette haired Pacifica had garnered any success with them. She fondly recalled the day after Christmas when she had levitated her new bicycle about a foot off of the ground. Mabel stood in awe as her twin moved it back and forth a bit. "You're, like, a magician or something!" she exclaimed with wonderment. "Yeah… Except that I'm not some fraud… This is the real deal!" she proudly proclaimed. The brunette heard the footsteps of her parents approaching and quickly broke the spell as the bicycle fell to the frosty ground below. "What are you guys up to?" asked a curious Wendy, who wondered what her children were doing out on such a chilly afternoon. Nothing much, just breaking in the new wheels…" Pacifica quickly replied. "Glad you like it… You know, I used to ride my bike all over this town when I was about your age…" the auburn haired woman fondly recalled, unaware of what the duo were actually up to.

"You're up early…" Mabel commented as Pacifica was snapped back to reality. "Uh… Yeah! You know me! Up with the sun!" she quickly said as she slammed the book shut. "Studying again, huh?" the brunette teen asked; having seen right through her sister's façade. "Maybe… What of it?" Pacifica retorted as she stood up from her desk. "Nothing… Geez… You've been kinda short with me the past few days… Everything alright there sis?" Mabel asked as she placed a caring hand on her twin's freckled shoulder. "Yeah… Sorry… Just in a funk I guess…" the thirteen year old said as she placed her hand on top of her sister's to return the affection. "Well, this trip should be just what the doctor ordered then! I'm so excited!" Mabel exclaimed as she danced around the room. "Ugh… Nobody who just woke up should have that kind of energy…" Pacifica commented with a chuckle. "What can I say? I'm just so stoked for this! We'll get to hang out with Aunty Tambry and the gang all weekend!" the ginger girl once again said in a joyous voice. "Yeah, that does sound like fun!" the chestnut haired teen agreed. Dipper and Wendy had been hesitant to take a trip without their children, but Tambry had reassured them time and time again that they would be just fine. Although Dipper had his doubts about the lackadaisical woman being able to control seven teenage kids for a weekend in the woods, Wendy was able to convince him that she was up to the somewhat daunting task. Plus, he really wanted to spend a long weekend with his wife away from the small town of Gravity Falls.

After helping Wendy and Dipper load up their sport utility vehicle, Tambry finished packing the children's bags into her minivan. "Welp… Dip and I are gonna hit the road. Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Wendy asked her best friend. "Wen, I've told you this, like, a million times… I've got this. Now you and your hubby go and enjoy all that Vancouver has to offer! That is, if you two even bother to leave the hotel room…" the purple haired woman said with a chuckle as she playfully jabbed her elbow into the side of the now clearly embarrassed woman. "OHMYGOSH! Tambry!" the ginger woman chastised her bestie as Dipper burst out laughing. Unknown to his wife, he had seen the same scene play out many years before. "While we will be spending ample time between the sheets, I assure you, we'll be sure to take in some of the sights…" the chestnut haired man said as he pecked his wife on her now crimson cheeks. "Stop encouraging her!" Wendy shouted with frustration while stomping her foot into the driveway. "Perhaps I should clarify what I meant by that… By spending time between the sheets, I mostly meant sleeping… This is gonna be the longest that we've been by ourselves since we've had the girls… You better believe that we're catching up on some sleep…" he explained as he nervously adjusted his glasses, hoping that was what his wife had wanted to hear. Wendy shot him a smile as she was appeased by the expansion of his thoughts. "Whatever… Just have fun!" the olive skinned woman said as she wrapped the couple up in a hug. "I'd tell you to as well, but keeping an eye on those guys seems more like a job to me…" Wendy said as she returned the gentle jab her bestie had given her before. The friends split up and got into their respective vehicles to begin their journeys.

The trip only took about half an hour, but nevertheless the group of campers were excited to be out among the wilderness. "This air out here is so much fresher!" Mateo said as he raised his arms above his head and stretched. "Dude, we live in the forest… We're just on the other side of town…" Lucas said as he playfully slapped his friend on the back. The twelve year old was of average size for his age and sported a short and spiky haircut. Usually found in a band t-shirt and jeans, this was no exception. "HaHa, oh yeah dude!" the somewhat portly Mateo chuckled. A little bit taller than his friends, the fifteen year old was practically a spitting image of his father, save for his wavy dirty blonde hair he had inherited from his mother Melody. "Ugh… Why couldn't I have gone to Vancouver with Aunt Wendy and Uncle Dipper?" a feminine voice protested from inside the vehicle. Courtney Corduroy had made the trek after her parents decided that they needed a break from her for the weekend. "Because… They need some time to themselves…" a soft voice replied. The slender and tall fifteen year old Grendy Chiu exited the van and grabbed a bag from the back. "Well… So do I!" the auburn haired teen terror protested. As much as she wanted to retort with an insult, she instead kept it to herself. After the fight with her cousin the previous summer, the thirteen year old was trying her best to change her ways and become a nicer person, especially towards Grendy after being particularly tough on her. "That means they're totally doing it!" Lucas said with a chuckle. "EWW!" Pacifica and Mabel shouted in unison as they recoiled at the insinuation with disgust. Mateo, his eleven year old sister Alessandra and Lucas helped gather firewood while Grendy, Pacifica, Mabel and Courtney set up camp.

Pacifica had just finished setting up her sleeping bag in the tent that the girls would share when she felt something on her leg. Thinking it was a bug, she brushed her hand against the inside of her thigh to shoo whatever it was away. Much to her horror, she felt dampness on her digits and observed a dark red liquid on them. "Must've been a hell of a mosquito…" she thought to herself as she walked back towards the tent to grab a moist wipe. About halfway there, she once again felt the strange sensation on her upper thigh. "What the hell?!" she thought to herself as she peered down and saw a stream of dark crimson blood trailing down her leg. The crotch of her dark blue denim shorts also felt a bit damp and soon enough the thirteen year old put two and two together. " _OH SHIT! NO, NO, NO, NO!_ " she said to herself in a panicked hush as her heartrate began to pick up. " _FUCK! NOT HERE! NOT NOW!_ " the brunette continued to comment as she sped up her pace; hoping that nobody else would know about her embarrassing situation. Luckily, the other teen girls had gone off in search of a few rocks to ring the campfire. She spied Tambry sitting on the open tailgate of the minivan; her fingers furiously texting away on her phone. "A-Aunt Tambry…" the thirteen year old said in a shy and soft voice, which took the purple haired woman off guard a bit. "Is everything alright Paz?" she asked with a bit of concern. "N-Not really… I-I don't know… I…" she began to reply before breaking down; tears streaming from her hazel colored eyes. "What's the matter?! A-Are you hurt?!" Tambry exclaimed as she threw her phone down onto the carpeted back of the vehicle and stood up. "I… I… I uh… I _got my period…_ " she said in a soft tone that oozed with embarassment. Tambry's expression changed from one of concern to that of understanding.

"O-Okay… So, I take it that this is your first one?" she asked as she tried to make the situation less awkward for them both; remembering how it had been for her. Pacifica nodded her head that it was indeed the first time she had experienced it. She had learned about it from both classes in school, as well as from her mother, but all the preparation and understanding in the world still didn't keep her from being blindsided by the real thing. "So… It's, like, totally okay… First of all… Welcome to Womanhood… I'll be your tour guide for this magical and confusing journey where your body totally rebels against you…" the violet haired woman said as she tried to get a laugh out of the somewhat terrified teen. "D-Do you have anything with you? Like, any supplies or anything?" Tambry inquired even though she was pretty sure that she already knew the answer. "N-No… I wasn't really thinking about it… I-I have a kit Mom made for me at home… But a lot of good it does me there…" she answered the olive skinned woman. The sounds of the three other girls returning to camp brought about a new wave of anxiety to Pacifica, as she didn't want her friends and relatives to find out what had happened. "Hey! Girls! Could you guys come over here please?" Tambry called out. "Aunt Tambry… _Please_ … I-I don't want them to know that I got it like this…" she pleaded to her surrogate mother for the weekend. " _Honey_ , we've all been where you are before… _Trust me_..." she tried to reassure her Goddaughter as the footsteps drew closer still. "What's up Aunt Tambers?" Mabel said in her typical laid back style. "First of all… Don't call me that… Second of all…" she began before pausing momentarily to turn and look at Pacifica. "Well… Pacifica officially just became a woman…" she said with a bit of enthusiasm in her voice. "Alright! Welcome to the club sis!" Mabel said as she hugged her twin. " _Ow!_ Not too tight there… It feels like I got punched in the gut by a boxer…"she replied with a grimace plastered on her face. " _Sorry…_ " the redhead sheepishly apologized.

Much to the young woman's surprise, the girls were extremely mature about the whole situation; Courtney even giving her a pad so that she could be properly equipped. "Well… I'm gonna run out and get Pacifica some things to get through this… And some ice cream!" the violet haired woman announced. "Why ice cream?" a curious Pacifica asked. "Because, silly... Ice cream makes everything better..." Tambry replied as she got into the minivan and drove off; the thirteen year old nodding her head in agreement. The teens had decided to try their luck at fishing while they awaited Tambry's return to the campsite and hiked to the stream that ran near their temporary home in the forest. "So... Everything okay sis?" Mabel asked as she took the hand of her twin, who now wore a black cotton skirt to replace her ruined denim shorts. "Y-Yeah... Like, I knew it was coming at some point and all... I just didn't think that it would be this weekend..." the young woman replied. "Trust me... It's gonna be a bit scary at first... But you'll get used to it. I guess just one more thing we have in common now..." the redhead said with a chuckle. "I can't believe how chill Courtney was about all of it... I mean, I know her and I are not on the same page and all... But, she actually kinda came to the rescue" the ginger teen observed as she swept some of her auburn locks from the front of her face. "I guess she is serious about changing..." Pacifica said in a hopeful tone as she rubbed her prosthetic arm. Meanwhile, a few paces ahead, Grendy and Courtney had struck up a conversation. "I just wanted to say that I thought it was incredibly sweet of you to help out Pacifica... The old Courtney wouldn't have done that" the lanky teen girl doted. "Well... The old Courtney is dead" the auburn haired fourteen year old coldly replied. "I don't think she died... I think she just grew up" Grendy optimistically commented. "Either way, I'm trying to be a different person... Which, by the way... I'm, like, sorry about all those times I picked on you... Like how I called you squeaky all the time because of your voice... O-Or when I laughed at you when you fell off the trampoline and broke your leg... O-Or when I ma-" she began to apologize before being cut off by the taller girl. "Okay! I get it... You were really shitty to me... But the important thing is that you're making amends for it now" the sandy haired teen interjected as the duo followed the rest of the teens to the stream. "If you wanna know the truth... The reason I was so hard on you is because... Well... I-I... _Ikindathinkyou'recute!"_ the fourteen year old girl blurted out, hoping that her confession of a crush on the slightly older girl wouldn't be met with disgust or outright rejection.

Grendy stopped in her tracks and at first thought that she had either misunderstood or misheard the ginger teen that walked beside her. "Oh shit! You really did it this time Court!" the freckled girl chastised herself as an awkward silence filled the air. She knew that her parents had been long time friends before they admitted their feelings to one another and that they had come out as a couple in a much less accepting climate than they found themselves in nowadays. To be honest, Grendy wasn't sure how to feel. She had developed a few crushes on boys in her school, but hadn't dated yet due to her meek nature and fear of rejection. Ironically, although her parents were lesbians, she had never considered the thought that she may be attracted to those of the same sex. Grendy noted the growing awkwardness between Courtney and her while she tried to process things. "I-I should say something here... She just put her heart out there and if I don't say something soon, she's gonna get hurt..." the fifteen year old thought to herself. "Pacifica... First of all... That took a shit ton of guts to say... I-I like you too... I-I'm just not sure how... Like, you're turning out to be a good friend... B-But I don't know if I like girls... I haven't even had a date with a boy or girl yet, so I just don't know..." she said before taking a breath. The young woman hoped she hadn't just devastated the redhead that stood beside her. "Oh... Okay then... I-It's just a stupid crush anyway... I-I know that I can't expect you to just say something one way or the other... I don't know what I was thinking..." Courtney replied as she looked down at the ground. "I have an idea!" the sandy haired teen said with excitement. "O-Okay... W-What would that be?" she asked with hesitation; not sure what kind of crazy thought had just popped into the usually reserved teen girl's head. Before she could fully process things, she felt the lips of the slightly older girl press against hers; the soft hands of the taller teen cupping her jaw as she returned the gesture. " **HOLY SHIT! GRENDY'S KISSING ME!** " the younger girl thought to herself as her heart began to race.

Courtney broke the kiss and opened her emerald eyes to meet the gaze of the taller girl. "D-Did you feel anything?" Grendy asked as a blush came over her cheeks. "I-I can't believe I just kissed a girl! Courtney Corduroy of all girls too!" she thought to herself as she awaited a response. "Yeah! Definitely! Absolutely! I-It just felt so right... Y-You're a great kisser by the way..." Courtney eagerly replied. She could only hope that her crush felt the same way. "W-What about you?" she asked with nervousness pulsing throughout her body. "To be completely honest... Yeah, I sorta did... B-But I dunno if that was because it was my first kiss ever... Or because I like you... I'm just all mixed up inside, you know?" she answered, hoping she wasn't breaking the younger girl's heart. "Okay... I-I get that... I-I'm glad that I was your first kiss..." Courtney said as tears filled her eyes. "You know what? I'm glad you were too!" the sandy haired girl admitted. "S-So what now?" the fourteen year old inquired. "Well... I guess to know for sure, I should probably kiss a boy... Kinda see how that makes me feel... I-It might sound kinda indecisive and all... B-But what if I like both boys and girls?" she asked the girl who stood beside her. "Well... It sounds like you have some work to do!" Courtney giggled. "Have any crushes on guys?" she thought aloud. "Well... I-I kinda like Mateo... B-But we're way too close to ever be anything but best friends... Besides... I-I don't think he likes me in that sort of way..." Grendy said as she buried her hands in her pockets and looked down at the dirt trail beneath her feet. "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Courtney replied as the slightly older girl looked up and their gazes met once again. "What do you mean by that?" Grendy asked with guarded curiosity. "Oh, I've caught him staring at you with that longing look a person gets when they're completely infatuated with someone... He digs ya... And you just said you dig him... Just get him alone and admit the way you feel..." the redhead advised the somewhat shy and apprehensive girl. "B-But what if he takes it the wrong way? What if you misread the situation? W-What if I lose a good friend because I let my hormones and feelings and all that shit take over... I-I mean... I'm the smart one. The logical one. I-I don't let my emotions decide what happens... It's just not who I am" Grendy questioned as she began to pace back and forth; the nervousness she often held just below the surface making a rare appearance. "Grendy, girl, you just have to let go... Give in to your heart..." the alabaster skinned girl said as she placed a caring hand on the teens shoulder. "Trust me... No matter what, even if he doesn't feel the way you expected him to or wanted him to, you'll feel better. Confession is good for the soul..." Courtney sincerely stated. Grendy realized that the skirt clad girl was speaking from recent experience and gave her a knowing nod of her head as the the pair began to walk once again.

Courtney and Grendy arrived at the bank of the stream to find Lucas, Mateo and Mabel with their poles in the water. Pacifica and Alessandra sat on a large, flat rock where the older brunette had begun to braid the youngster's hair. "There you two are!" Mabel said as she turned around and spied the duo out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah... I took a bad step and twisted my ankle. Luckily, Courtney here stayed behind and helped me walk here..." Grendy fibbed. " _You didn't twist your ankle? Did you?_ " the auburn haired girl mouthed to her companion. " _Just go with it..._ " the lanky teenager whispered under her breath in a tone just loud enough for Courtney to hear. "Y-Yeah... I-I helped her out... Totally why we just got here!" the shorter fourteen year old agreed. "Huh... Who knew that Grendy could lie..." the ginger girl thought to herself as a small smirk formed on her face. "A-Are you gonna be okay?!" Mateo said with concern as he too turned around. "Y-Yeah... I-I should be. I think I worked it out..." she quickly reassured the young man as she pointed her sneaker clad foot toe-first toward the ground and began to roll her ankle. "A-Alright... If it's still bugging you... I could, like, totally try to massage it and try to loosen it up some more..." he offered to the object of his deep-seated desire. "Maybe I'll take you up on that..." she playfully replied; turning before the blush that had begun to spread on her cheeks became apparent to him or anyone else for that matter. "What did I tell you? Totally into you..." Courtney gloated as she walked away. As much as Grendy hated to admit it, her one-time tormentor and now smooch buddy was right.

After an hour of unsuccessful fishing had passed, the group of bored teens decided to head back to camp. They arrived to find their temporary home in the forest had been ransacked; their many possessions strewn across the ground. Among them were the mysterious book that Pacifica had found the previous autumn. "What's that?!" asked Alessandra with excitement as she walked over to the jewel encrusted tome and lifted it up. Pacifica panicked for a moment as she didn't want her friends to know that she had found a book of supposed spells in a random cave. Ultimately, they would start asking questions and she felt as if she wasn't quite ready to reveal that she had begun to study and perform them. "I don't know!" the brunette blurted out in an overly loud tone. "It looks important..." Mateo commented as he observed the book his younger sister held. "Pfft... It's probably just one of Aunt Tambry's trashy romance novels..." Courtney stated in a dismissive tone. "Eww!" Lucas responded; recoiling at the thought of his mother reading such smut. "HaHaHa!" Mateo reacted as he burst out in laughter. "Dude, it's not funny!" the spiky haired twelve year old shot back at his best friend. "S-Sorry man... But... It, like, totally is dude..." the portly teen said as he placed his hands on his knees as he doubled over in laughter. Lucas stormed off in anger; shoving the older boy as he did so, which caused him to tumble to the ground. "Mateo!" Grendy exclaimed as she sprinted over and extended her hand to her crush. The eyes of the two teenagers met and both their faces formed slight blushes on them.

The awkward scene was diffused as a rustling was heard from the boy's tent; stopping the angered Lucas in his tracks and drawing the attention of the group. "What do you think that is?!" Mabel asked. "I dunno... Probably some kind of wild animal... It's probably what caused all this..." Pacifica answered as they slowly approached the structure. "What would an animal want with clothes though?" Grendy wondered. "Well... Suppose someone had some graham crackers and honey in there... M-Maybe they'd want that... I know I would... N-Not that they're mine or anything, 'cause they're totally not..." Mateo informed the group as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. Lucas walked over to a small tree and broke a low hanging branch off of it; brandishing it as a weapon against the possible feral animal. Taking a brave step forward, Pacifica lifted the fabric flap that served as an entry to the tent and peered in. " _What in the fuck?!_ " she said in a hushed tone as she motioned the others to come and take a look. Gazing into the blue hued tent, they all spied a tiny man in a red pointy hat furiously munching away on a graham cracker while another scooped his hand into the glass jar full of honey. " _They're like little men!_ " Alessandra gushed in a soft voice. The one eating the cracker looked up and noticed his now sizable audience. Letting out a yell, the pair of gnomes pierced a hole in the tent and scurried off into the woods; the group thoroughly confused by what had just transpired. As they tried to process the scene before them, the sound of an approaching vehicle rung through the tall timbers of the forest. Tambry had returned from her shopping trip to find their campsite in utter shambles. "Oh my God! What happened?!" the violet haired thirty-something exclaimed as she exited the vehicle. "That's what we're trying to figure out..." Lucas replied as he dropped the branch he had been holding. "These little dudes came and totally trashed the place..." Mateo commented as the others nodded their heads in agreement. "Gnomes..." Tambry said with disgust dripping from her voice as narrowed her eyes.

 **Author's Note:** So, this chapter took a while to write. I kinda didn't know where I wanted to go with it, but this is what I agreed upon. I wanted to get more interaction between the new crew and also show Tambry trying to be a responsible adult, which is kinda funny to me because it totally is a one-eighty from how she was portrayed in the show and even my own work earlier on. This was one of my longer chapters in a while, but I actually found some time to write and everything just kinda fell into place. The music, mood, and my mindset just kinda clicked and away went my fingers to the keyboard. A lot of the relationships I've come up with just kinda happened on the fly and I've just run with them. Will Mateo return the feelings that Grendy has for him? Will Courtney be satisfied to wait while Grendy figures out how she feels, or will she decide to take matters into her own hands? Now that the whole group knows about the spellbook, how will it affect their friendships? And why does Tambry have such a deep disdain for the gnomes of Gravity Falls? Answers to all this and more, plus Wendy and Dipper in Vancouver in the next addition of Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story - iKLOT **  
**

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

The Decemberists – "Severed"

Jonathan Davis – "What It Is"

Starset – "Halo"

Chevelle – "Joyride (Omen)"

Chevelle – "The Clincher"

Nothing More – "Go To War"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	7. Chapter 7

**Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Seven: Come Clean**

" _Gnomes…_ " Tambry said with disdain as she furrowed her brow. "Like the little statue ones that people put in their gardens?" Alessandra inquired. " _No_ … These are the real deal… And I absolutely hate them…" the violet haired woman replied to her. "Mom… You and Dad both have told me to never say I hate something…" Lucas stated in a confused tone. "Y-Yeah… But this is one of the rare instances where it's alright to…" she assured her son. "Why? Did they do something to ya' Aunt Tambers?" Mabel asked. "Yeah… You could say that…" the olive skinned thirtysomething said as she narrowed her eyes; recalling the event as if it had happened just yesterday. "Well? What did they do?" the curious redhead continued her line of questioning. "It all started the summer before we lost your Aunts…" she began as they all took a seat around the unlit campfire. "I-I was eighteen and felt like the world was mine… That I could do anything I wanted to. The only thing was that I had just gotten out of a bad relationship and back then, I was the kind of girl who always had to have a boyfriend… I-In retrospect… I-I maybe should have taken some time to work on myself… But that's a story for another time… Anyway… I was on this online dating app called 'Tender' where you pretty much saw someone in PhotoModded profile image and read a short blurb about them…" she began as the teens looked on. "That sounds incredibly shallow…" the usually reserved Grendy commented, much to the surprise of Tambry. "Trust me… It totally was…" the somewhat embarrassed woman replied as a wave of shame crashed over her; a bit blindsided by the kind girl's brutal honesty.

"So anyway… I saw this guy named 'Jeff' on there and he seemed to be a pretty good looking guy and his blurb made me laugh. I swiped right and we started messaging. He was witty… And charming… And looked hella hot. I should have known that it was too good to be true, but I was lonely and wanted to hang out with someone new" Tambry continued as Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his seat; thoughts of his mother looking for someone to hook up with, albeit many years ago, was off-putting to the teen boy. "So, he said to meet up in the State Park one day and sure enough… I did. I guess they chloroformed me, because when I came to I was smack dab in the middle of a wedding ceremony. Instead of the dreamy guy I had talked to online, I was instead surrounded by dozens of little men with beards and pointy hats" she recalled before taking a moment to breathe. "You must have been so scared!" Courtney said with fright. Although she had put on a somewhat brave front earlier, she was actually terrified of the pint-sized creatures. "I was... They were about to conclude the ceremony when Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, Nate, Lee and Thompson all came to my rescue. Armed with a leaf blower, Aunt Mabel was able to scatter them while Wendy untied me. I'll never forget that day as long as I live…" she concluded as the teens sat stunned at the story they had just been told.

"So… Why do you think they were tearing through our campsite like that?" Mateo asked; breaking the stunned silence of the group. "Dunno… Probably just hungry or something" Tambry dismissed as she stood up from the campfire and walked back towards her tent. "What if they were after that book?!" Alessandra wondered aloud as she swung her short legs back and forth. "Yeah… What is that thing anyway?" Lucas agreed. "I already told you dude… It's one of your Mom's trashy romance novels…" Courtney said with a chuckle. " **NO IT'S NOT!** " both Tambry and her son replied in unison; anger coming from the young man, while the violet haired woman's reply dripped with embarrassment. "Jeez… Touchy…" the redhead replied as she picked up the tome and dusted it off. Opening it up, she read the cursive handwriting that adorned the inner cover. "Multi-Dimensional Spellbook… Maybe this is what they were after..." the ginger preteen thought aloud as she held it up for all to see. "Maybe… I mean, the only way they'll ever get a Queen is by conjuring one up with a magic spell or something…" Tambry quipped. "Pfft… Magic is hella fake…" Lucas replied. " _That's what you think…_ " Pacifica said under her breath as a smug smile formed on her face. "People say there have been lots of weird things that have happened in this town over the years… Why couldn't there be a magic spellbook? I mean, we just saw some freaking real life gnomes for crying out loud!" Grendy argued. The group of teens took a moment to think about what the usually meek teen had said. As usual, the lanky brunette was the voice of reason. "That does make a lot of sense…" Lucas relented as the teens began to get the campfire going; the sun beginning to set on the strange day in the forest.

Dipper and Wendy's flight had arrived in Vancouver early in the afternoon. Instead of the sunny and clear conditions they had left behind in Gravity Falls, the couple was greeted with cloudy skies and light drizzle. After taking a cab to their hotel, the two lovers proceeded to reignite their flames of passion. Clothes and inhibitions were shed as the two became one; their love making unrestrained as they had no fear of being interrupted by their children or anyone else for that matter. After a few goes, the sweaty and sore bodies of Wendy and her husband Mason collapsed onto the queen sized mattress; the duo soon falling fast asleep. A few hours later, Wendy began to stir in the large bed as the dying light of the late afternoon filtered through the blinds of the hotel room. For a brief moment, she had forgotten where she was and panic came over her; the woman hastily grabbing the bedsheets to conceal her nude form. The feeling of panic soon subsided as she remembered that she was on vacation with her husband. "Hey Dip… Wake up honey…" she whispered into her lover's ear; her hot breath tickling the slumbering chestnut haired man. A soft laugh came from his mouth as he began to stir in the spacious bed that had become a canvas on which they painted their portrait of love earlier. "I'm gonna go wash up… Then we can hit the town…" she informed her husband; playfully tapping him on his bare bottom before she arose from the bed and made her way to the bathroom. Dipper heard the door close and sat up in the bed; running his fingers through his hair as he recalled the fantastic start to his vacation.

Dipper put on a pair of blue jeans, a grey t-shirt emblazoned with a logo of a band he liked, and a black leather jacket. A pair of black and white skate shoes completed his look as he sat on the edge of the mattress. Wendy emerged from steam filled bathroom and sauntered back to the bedroom, where she spied her husband fully clothed and ready to go. "Somebody's an eager boy…" she said with a chuckle as she dropped the tan towel that had concealed her nakedness. Dipper could hardly believe that despite giving birth to twin girls that his wife's body was just about as slim and toned as when they had first met two decades prior. The tattoos that she had gotten over the years practically jumped off of her alabaster skin; a tapestry of her troubled past and promising future. In addition to the sleeve on her right arm she had commissioned following her suicide attempt, she eventually covered up the surgical scars under her arm with the tiny handprints of her then infant daughters and the date they were born. Unknown to him, the feisty redhead planned to pop her husband's ink cherry when they visited a famed shop on Sunday. Until then, he remained blissfully unaware of the slightly devilish plans his lover had in store for him.

Walking out into the cool air of the early evening, Dipper and Wendy walked hand in hand to the Granville District, where they had read about the abundant night life it had to offer. Free from the responsibilities of parenthood for the first time in over a decade, the couple decided to let loose and have a night of recklessness. The first bar they walked into had a stage off to the side, where a rock band was playing a set. Dipper ordered a few shots of Irish whiskey, while his wife had opted for a glass of straight vodka. It always amazed him how the young woman could knock back the burning liquid as if it were nothing more than the water it resembled. Feeling the buzz from the alcohol after a few moments, he grasped his wife's petite hand and led her toward the performance. For the next hour, the two lost themselves in the screaming guitar riffs and melodic vocals of the group. Although they were slightly older than most of the other revelers, Dipper and Wendy were able to hang with the rowdy twentysomethings that surrounded them and relive their concert going days once more.

The band finished their set and soon the married couple found themselves at the bar once again. Opting for some water to stay hydrated, the duo were about to leave for another bar when they were stopped by a clearly drunk woman. "I-I knows you f-from somewhere!" the raven haired girl stammered. A puzzled look formed on both Wendy and Dipper's face. Although they were under the influence of alcohol, the pair recognized that they weren't nearly as far gone as this woman. "You must be mistaken… W-We're not from around here…" Wendy replied as she grasped the hand of her lover just a little tighter. "No! Y-You're in that movie they're f-filming… Over on English Bay! Ocifer D-Down! Yeah! You're Jamie LeCroix! C-Can I have your autograph?!" she gushed to the thoroughly confused woman. " _Just go with it Wen…_ " Dipper discreetly suggested to his wife. "Alright! You got me!" Wendy said with a chuckle. Although she was aware of the famous Hollywood actress, she thought that the two didn't resemble each other in the slightest. After signing a bar napkin and posing for a picture, the duo left the bar. "Jamie LeCroix! Ha! Yeah right!" Wendy laughed to herself. A curious Dipper pulled out his phone and searched Boggle for images of the actress. Much to his surprise, the young woman was a spitting image of his wife except for her dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. "I dunno… I can totally see it…" Dipper said as he showed his wife the picture he had pulled up. "Well… I guess that makes one of us…" Wendy retorted as they continued down the sidewalk.

"Jamie! Jamie! Who's the arm candy?" a man's voice shouted out as a camera's flash went off and nearly blinded her. "I'm not Jamie LeCroix! My name is Wendy Pines!" she yelled back. "C'mon Jamie! Can I ask you a few questions?" the slender man asked as he stuck a video camera in her face. "Dude! She's not Jamie LeCroix! She's my wife! Wendy Pines!" Dipper replied with a bit of anger. "Okay! I get it! You're a method actor… But can you please answer a few questions for me?" the man insisted. "Ugh! Fine! Whatever!" she huffed as all three came to a stop on the sidewalk. "Jamie… What is it like to play such a strong female character such as Wendy Corduroy?" the man asked as a look of confusion came over both her and Dipper's face. "Character?!" she replied. "Yeah… Your movie 'Officer Down'… You star as rookie officer Wendy Corduroy on the worst day of her brief career. What is it like to pla-" he began to explain before the thirtysomething cut him off. "I-I don't know what kind of prank this is dude, but I am Wendy Corduroy-Pines and I can prove it…" she said in a firm tone as her petite hand retrieved her identification from the small clutch she carried. Holding it up so that the interviewer could see, his expression quickly changed from one of annoyance to that of amazement.

"Y-You're actually her! I-I'm so sorry!" the man apologized. "What's this all about?" asked a very confused and slightly agitated Dipper. "Well, they started filming the other day… I-I guess that hair and makeup did such a good job on Jamie that I couldn't tell you two apart… Once again… I'm truly sorry…" he explained. "Movie?!" both Dipper and Wendy exclaimed in unison. "Yeah… Officer Down… It's… Well… It's about what happened that day… H-How you were the only cop on duty and how you kept your cool to talk down a deranged criminal… You mean you didn't know?" the man asked with a bit of shock; certain that the person that the film was based on would be in the know about it. "Nope! W-Who the hell told them they could make a movie about my life?! That they could profit on both my and my husband's grief?!" she replied as a red hot rage began to consume her. "Look… I don't know… I'm just paparazzi… If I were you though… I'd go down to the set tomorrow and demand some answers. You're missing out on some serious dough…" the man answered as the couple shot him a nasty look. "What? You are… Anyway… Sorry to bother you…" he apologized one final time before walking away.

"I can't fucking believe it! Who the fuck would go and make a movie about what happened without talking to me or you?! I mean, can they even fucking do that?!" Wendy fumed as she punched an ornate lamppost that decorated the sidewalk; a move she instantly regretted as pain radiated throughout her hand and wrist. "I know… That's hella fucked up…" Dipper agreed. "Well… If I'm being mistaken for a famous Hollywood actress, I say we party like one…" Wendy said as a smirk formed on her face. The hazel eyed man knew the devious expression well and while he didn't know what she had in store, he knew that she was hell bent on doing it. "I mean… It's not that I'm angry about them doing a movie about me… I-It's just tha-" the redhead began before being interrupted by a group of college aged women. "OHMYGOD! Jamie LeCroix! C-Can we get a selfie?!" a short and somewhat rotund brunette asked. "Like, totally!" Wendy said in a sarcastic tone, which was lost on the group of adoring fans. After a few pictures in which Wendy discreetly brandished her middle finger, the crowd dispersed.

The married couple made their way to a second bar, this one more grungy and dank than the previous. Sauntering up the bar with a confident swagger, Wendy got the barkeep's attention. "Yeah… I'll take a glass of your finest vodka… neat" the redhead said as she swept a stray bit of hair behind her ear and winked. Dipper was unsure of what his wife was fixing to do, but decided to take in the show that was sure to take place. "I'm going to need your card…" he replied as the grizzled man held out his large calloused hand. "Excuse me?!" the ginger woman shot back. "Yeah… This stuff ain't cheap… I'm not about to let some chick just order this much without opening a tab…" he responded. "Don't you know who I am?!" Wendy shot back in an offended tone. "Nope. Don't care either lil' missy…" the man said without an ounce of care in his voice. "I'm Jamie Freakin' LeCroix! Famous Hollywood actress! I'm filming a movie here! Surely you've heard of me…" she shot back as Dipper put two and two together; a small smirk forming on his face. "OHMYGOSH! IT IS JAMIE!" a woman shouted over the drone of the alternative music that came from the aged sound system. "I liked your work in 'The Revengers'…" a rough looking biker commented before taking a swig from his large mug of beer.

The bartender pulled out his phone and did a quick search on the supposed actress. He was certain that the redhead was just trying to swindle him out of some top shelf booze and wanted to shut down the situation as quickly as possible. In his nearly twenty years of bartending, he had just about seen it all and he would be damned if he the younger woman could pull one over on him. Much to his surprise, the first image that popped up was that of a woman that was a dead ringer for the one that stood in front of him; save for her hairs color and length. "I'm sorry Miss LeCroix! I-I didn't know… It's on the house!" the man apologized as he quickly fulfilled her order, fearful that she would slam the business on her extensive social media network. "And anything he wants as well!" she commanded while pointing to her husband. Dipper didn't get to see this assertive side of his wife often these days, but when he did, he loved every bit of it. Taking his wife up on her offer, he glanced at the many glass bottles that lined the shelves. While there were a few choices that were enticing, one dusty bottle with a dark brown liquid caught his eye and intrigue filled his mind. "What's that on the top shelf? The dusty one?" he inquired. "T-That is not for sale…" the barkeep quickly replied. "Then why's it on the bar?" Dipper commented. Wendy watched the exchange with curiosity as she knew Dipper could be quite persuasive while not being too forthright with what he wanted. "I-It's there for decoration… A gift my grandfather received many years ago from a sailor as payment of a debt…" he once again answered. "Well… I think Ms. LeCroix made herself very clear… Didn't she?" Dipper shot back. A deep sigh was heard from the other side of the bar as the man relented and grabbed the bottle while muttering something about entitled millennials under his breath. Blowing off the dust, he placed both it and a shot glass in front of the chestnut haired man. ' _Almann's Pure Irish Pot Still Whiskey_ ' Dipper read as he lifted the bottle from the well-worn wooden bar to take a better look at it. After examining the bottle for a few moments, he realized that while Wendy had pretty much given him carte blanche on the bar, this was a family heirloom of the bartenders and it would be wrong for him to drink from it if she had no intent of paying the fair price for it.

"On second thought, I'll take the Royale Crown XR on the rocks…" Dipper requested as he handed the aged bottle back to the raven haired man. A look of thankfulness was briefly displayed on his face before being replaced by his gruff one. A few moments later, Wendy rejoined her husband at the bar. "So… What'd ya get?" she asked with a bit of a slur as the clear liquor had begun to affect her. "Some Royale Crown XR… I was gonna get whatever was in that old bottle at the top of the bar, but I could tell it meant a lot to the bartender…" the chestnut haired man replied. "Y-You're a good man…" Wendy said as she pecked her lover on his cheek. "So… Any idea what you're gonna do tomorrow?" Dipper asked as his drink arrived. "Nah… I dunno. I mean, I kinda feel bad for running up this huge tab for Jamie. I mean, she's just an actress. It's not like she was the one who is making the movie… She's just doing her job" the redhead replied as her husband took a long sip from his glass of whiskey. "Yeah… That's true. We should go back to the room and find out more about this movie… See who is behind all this. At least we didn't go nuts with this whole revenge thing though…" Dipper commented. " _Yeah_ … About _that_ …" the ginger woman said as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "What'd ya do?" her husband inquired as he once again held the glass of caramel colored liquid to his lips and took a long sip. "I-I… Well… I kinda told the whole bar that shots were on me… Err… Jamie LeCroix…" the auburn haired woman said with a bit of shame in her voice.

Dipper took a moment to process what his wife had just said. While he was certain that whatever the cost would turn out to be was mere pocket change to the starlet, he was nonetheless disappointed in her behavior. "Look… I know that was pretty shitty of me… B-But in my defense… I am ripped off my ass right now…" the ginger woman commented as she leaned on her husband. Having just consumed the one glass of whiskey at the first bar and a second at the one they currently found themselves in, Dipper had a pretty good buzz going, but was much more composed than his wife. "Well… Let's go back to the hotel and sleep this off. Then in the morning, we can figure out who is trying to make a quick buck off of Mabel and Pacifica…" the brown haired man said as he stood up from his stool and helped Wendy off of hers. Dipper and Wendy were just about to exit into the cool summer evening of Vancouver, when the door opened and an auburn haired woman walked into the bar. Both she and Wendy's' eyes met as they paused to take a better look at one another. Dipper was instantly reminded of the time that the shapeshifter had taken the form of Wendy in the bunker. Once again, a doppelgänger of the woman was in their presence.

"Dude… You're Jamie LeCroix!" Wendy blurted out before realizing that she sounded no different than the people who had asked her all night for photos. "Wow… Y-You look just like this character I'm playing…" Jamie commented as she swept a stray lock of hair from her face. Aside from their attires, the two could be twins; a fact that wasn't lost on Dipper. "Funny that you should say that…" Wendy said as she opened her clutch and fished for her identification. Locating it in the seemingly bottomless purse, she presented it to the starlet. "No fucking way…" Jamie said with a chuckle as she did a double take. "Yup… I'm Wendy Corduroy. Well… I was until I married this hottie… Now I'm Wendy Pines…" the ginger woman explained as she clung to the arm of her husband. "I'd say that things ended up turning out alright for you then…" Jamie said as the trio sat down at a somewhat sticky table in the loud tavern. Jamie had many questions for the inspirational woman and luckily, Wendy was more than happy to oblige. Over the course of the next hour, the actress tried to think of everything she could to get a better grip on her character and deliver an award worthy performance. During the impromptu interview, Dipper kept wondering when his wife would ask just who was behind the movie. "So… Who's producing the movie that you're filming? I-I wasn't told that this was going on… Honestly, we just kinda stumbled upon it…" Wendy asked the actress. "No way! So, you had no idea that they are making a movie about your life? About what happened? That's messed up!" Jamie said as she took a sip of the water she had ordered. "I know, right?!" Wendy agreed. "I figured that you were here as some sort of consultant or something…" the faux redhead continued. "Nope… Just here to get away from the kids for the weekend…" the former officer said with a chuckle. "Well… I can get you on set and maybe we can both find out who is trying to make a buck off of your story…" Jamie offered. "That would be great!" Wendy exclaimed as a smile formed on her freckled face.

"So… I've got a question…" Dipper said as he looked towards the actress. "What would that be?" the younger woman asked as she met his hazel gaze. "What is an actress of your caliber and social standing doing in a dive bar like this?" the chestnut haired man inquired. It was a question that he had been meaning to ask for some time, as she seemed to stick out like a sore thumb amongst the more average looking patrons. "Well… I was gonna turn in early because we're filming the scene at the bank tomorrow and I wanted to mentally prepare myself for it… But then I got an alert on my phone saying that I was spending about forty-five hundred dollars at this bar, so I wanted to see who was running up my tab…" the starlet said before continuing her explanation. "I still don't know who it is, but the only reason they could even open a tab here is because the actor who's playing you kinda digs these places… Says that going to them helps keep him grounded and connected to the real, instead of the fakeness of the entertainment industry. To each, their own I suppose… Anyways, I came here one time and now there's someone running up an impressive bill on my dime…" Jamie said with a bit of a scoff. " _Yeah_ … _About that_ …" Wendy began as the blue eyes of the actress focused their attention on what she was going to say next.

 **Author's Note:** So, this chapter took a little bit longer than I wanted it to take to write, but I was in short supply of free time lately. That and honestly I was suffering from a bit of writer's block. I have tons of B-Stories to fill my chapters out, but I'm still trying to figure out the middle of my main story. Like, I know where I want it to go and all, but I just have to figure out how to get there. Case in point, the whole story of Wendy and Dipper finding out that they're making a slightly more dramatized movie (I'm leaning towards it being a Lifetime style movie or something, but it may be a big Hollywood one… Not entirely sure) was just supposed to be a short B-Plot and it totally ended up consuming this chapter. Anyways… Why were the gnomes after the Spellbook? Who is behind the movie? What will Jamie do when she finds out that Wendy was the one behind the massive bar tab? Answers to all that and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax… -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

The Decemberists – "Severed"

Jonathan Davis – "What It Is"

Starset – "Halo"

Chevelle – "Joyride (Omen)"

Theory Of A Deadman – "Straight Jacket"

Sick Puppies – "Rip Tide"

Nothing But Thieves – "Sorry"

CHVRCHES – "Get Out"

St. Vincent – "Los Ageless"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	8. Chapter 8

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Eight: Get Through This**

"Yeah… About that…" Wendy nervously said as she shifted in her seat; apprehensive of how the young starlet seated across from her in a dingy bar would take the news. She hoped that Jamie LeCroix would simply laugh it off, but she also knew that her actions were illegal and could land her in a whole lot of trouble. "What of it?" the scarlet haired actress inquired. "Well… I-I kinda was the one who did that" the ginger woman admitted as a feeling of immense shame came over her; the usually confident woman now awash in a sea of uneasyness. An audible gasp came from Jamie as she tried to process what she had just been told. Having studied the life of her character for the better part of a few months, she was aware of the rebellious past Wendy had lived. Still, she was a bit shocked to see that a former officer of the law would commit fraud. She wanted to know why Wendy would do such a thing. "Why?" was all the blue eyed woman could respond with; a look of betrayal adorning her face. "Look… I was, like, angry. Angry that you were trying to be me I guess. Angry that people were trying to make money off the deaths of Mabel and Pacifica. Angry that someone was trying to tell a story that I only truly know. I-I don't know what I was thinking…" Wendy answered as she held her head in her hands and began to weep. "A-And she'd had a few drinks…" Dipper quickly added; hoping to aid the case of his wife. "T-Then I end up talking to you and you're, like, this amazing person who understands where I'm coming from… I-I'm so, so, sorry…" the freckled woman continued as tears ran down her cheeks and began to pool on the linoleum tabletop below. Dipper placed a caring hand on the upper back of his upset wife and began to soothe her by rubbing it.

Jamie once again took a moment to process what the slightly older woman had divulged to her. Her anger, while misplaced, was understandable. She could only imagine if someone had tried to tell the story of her life without consulting her. She couldn't even fathom losing people so close to her in such a tragic way. She wouldn't know how to respond to being shot several times by someone she once held feelings for or deal with the feelings that Wendy had to in the aftermath of it all. "Wendy, honey… It's alright" Jamie said as she tried to console the emotional woman. "I get that you were angry. We all do foolish things because of anger every once in a while. I understand" the actress continued as Wendy lifted her head out of her hands; her mascara running down her freckled cheeks. "Th-Thank you Jamie… Thank you" Wendy replied as she looked her straight in the eyes. "C'mon, let's go freshen up… Dipper, if you'll excuse us for a few moments…" Jamie said as she stood up and walked over to Wendy. "Of course" the chestnut haired man replied as the duo walked away. "Damn… She was pretty cool about that…" the thirtysomething man thought to himself as he continued to sit at the table. Wendy and Jamie made their way to the restroom, where the upset woman quickly doused her face with the tepid water that fell from the faucet. "Once again… I-I'd just like to tell you how sorry I am… I-I can repay you if you want… I-I don't make much, so it might take a little while, but I can make it right" Wendy offered as she dried her face with a rough paper towel. "Don't worry about it… I honestly spend more than that on makeup every month… It's fine" Jamie reassured her. Wendy was both relieved that she wouldn't have to pay back the debt and a bit off put by how little the money meant to her.

After a few minutes, the women returned to the table Dipper sat at, Wendy now seeming to be in much better spirits. "Everything alright?" the concerned man inquired to the pair. "Yup… Everything's cool" Wendy proclaimed as a soft smile formed on her face. A look of relief came over Dipper as he was glad that his wife had calmed down. While it had been years since the ginger woman had even entertained the thought of self-harm, the chestnut haired man knew that they could return at any time; especially if she were to become deeply upset. "Yeah… Wendy even gave me some pointers on how to get my makeup more like hers" Jamie chimed in. "So… Got any plans for the rest of the night?" Wendy asked the actress; hoping to hang out more with her. "I was going to turn in early. We're filming the scene at the bank tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I was well rested for it" the blue eyed performer replied. "Well… At least one of us will have gotten sleep before that…" the ginger woman commented in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "What do you mean by that?" asked a befuddled Jamie. "Dude, I was the only cop in town… I was pulling twelve hour shifts. If it weren't for energy drinks and coffee, I'm pretty sure that I'd never have lasted as long as I did doing that. In fact… I was taking a nap when Mabel first contacted me about the robbery" the redhead said. "See! This is why we need you on set! This is why they should have had you as a consultant from day one! They never even mentioned that in the script!" Jamie exclaimed. "That's it! I'm going down there tomorrow and I'm going to give them all a piece of my mind!" Wendy shouted. The trio left the dive bar and continued their night out in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, Tambry and her pack of teens sat around a now roaring campfire; the light from the flames flickering off the tall timbers that surrounded them. The violet haired woman's phone buzzed and she quickly removed it from the pocket of her black skinny jeans. It was a text message from Wendy. "Please don't be bad…" she thought to herself as she unlocked the phone and opened the message. ' _Look who we found in Vancouver! That's right! Jamie F'n LeCroix! Be jealous!_ ' it read; accompanied by a photo of the trio in a bar. ' _Damn… Jealous girl! Here's my current situation…_ ' Tambry replied, along with a photo of Lucas trying to see how many marshmallows he could stack on Mateo's head while the girls looked on with excitement. 'Lol, _nice! Jamie says 'sup btw… So much to tell ya… Call tomorrow?_ ' Wendy messaged back. ' _Sure! Got a few things to tell you too… Nothing bad… But, gnomes… ugh…_ ' Tambry said. Her best friend replied with a thumbs up and sighing emoticon. "Aunt Tambry! You're missing history here!" Mabel called out. "Sorry sweetheart!" the olive skinned woman apologized as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. They had managed to stack twelve of them on the somewhat portly teen's head before the toppled to the ground below. Tambry was reminded of the antics that her crew would get into when she was about their age; Mateo appearing to be their version of Thompson.

"So… Have you told him yet?" asked an eager Courtney to Grendy over the crackle of the campfire. "Nah… Gotta just get some time alone with him…" the slender fifteen year old replied in a somewhat frustrated tone as she observed Mateo and Alessandra playing patty cake. "That can be arranged…" Courtney said as a devious smirk came across her face. "No! Courtney! Y-You don't have to…" the mahogany haired girl pleaded in vain. Standing up from the log that she and her crush shared, the determined girl made her way over to where Mateo was seated. "Hey Mateo" the ginger girl said as she tugged on the drawstrings of her pink hoodie while rocking back and forth on her heels. "Hey Courtney, what's up?" he asked. "Nothin' much…" she answered in a playful tone of voice. "Something is… What's your angle, Corduroy?" the usually laid back teen replied in more skeptical tone. "Okay… So… Like… She'd kill me if she found out I told you this… But Grendy kinda needed that massage after all. Her ankle has been bugging her all night long, but she's too shy to ask herself…" Courtney replied; hoping to make her intentions more clear. "Oh… Okay… Well, I can do that…" he answered as his usual demeanor returned. The teen boy got up from his seat and walked over to the slender girl. "Dance my puppets, dance…" the redhead quietly chuckled to herself as she watched the scene playout from across the campfire. "Hey…" he awkwardly started the conversation as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey…" the equally shy Grendy replied. "So… I-Is your ankle, like, still bugging you and junk?" he stammered as the almond colored eyes of the young woman met his; the flicker of the campfire illuminating them. "Uh… Yeah! I-If that offer for the massage is still valid, I'd like one…" she eagerly responded. "Well… Y-You should probably lie down so it's easier for me to give it to you. The massage! So I can give you the massage!" Mateo quickly corrected himself; the unintentional innuendo causing his cheeks to blush. "Let's head to the tent…" Grendy said as she stood up from the log she sat on. "Let me help you!" Mateo quickly offered as the young woman arose. For a moment, Grendy had forgotten about the ruse and began to walk as if nothing were wrong. "At least you can put weight on it now… It seemed like before that Courtney almost had to carry you to camp…" the t-shirt clad teen boy commented. Realizing that she had made a mistake, she knew she had to act fast if she were to have a moment alone with the teen boy. "OW! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Grendy groaned as she hopped a bit on her ' _good_ ' ankle. "OHMYGOSH! Here! Let me help!" the portly teenager replied as he lowered his shoulders so that the ' _injured_ ' girl could keep the weight off of her ankle.

The fifteen year old gladly accepted his offer and draped her long and slender arm around the back of his neck. This moment was not lost on Courtney, who continued to look on with great interest while everyone else continued to converse about the existence of ghosts. "Go get 'em girl!" the redhead silently cheered as she watched the slightly older teen disappear into the tent with her crush. "Okay… J-Just lay down a-and I'll get started…" Mateo instructed as he helped the young woman. "O-Okay… Be gentle… I-It's my first time… GETTING A MASSAGE! My first time that I'm getting a massage!" the frazzled fifteen year old stammered as she tried to cover up her Freudian slip. "Of course…" Mateo replied. The somewhat portly teen kneeled down and untied her pink sneaker; removing both it and a white cotton ankle sock from her foot. "I-I don't see any bruising or swelling, so that's a good sign" Mateo commented as he placed the slender ankle in his grasp. "HaHa… Lucky me!" Grendy chuckled as she felt the light rubs of his fingers upon her sun-kissed skin. The massage session went on for a few minutes before the teen boy stopped and gently rested her leg back onto the soft material of the sleeping bag. Grendy's mind had gone to mush as she relished the intimate contact with the boy she had feelings for. "G-Grendy?" the usually laid back voice of the sandy haired teen hesitantly asked. "Yeah?" the lanky teenage girl replied as she continued to stare up at the light blue ceiling of the tent; her mind still swimming in ecstasy. "I-I, like, have to tell ya something…" Mateo revealed as he continued to trip over his words. " _Okay?_ " Grendy answered as she wondered what the teen could have to say. "I-I like you. I really like you…" he revealed to the fifteen year old girl as he lay down beside her.

The teen girl was thrilled that her feelings were being reciprocated by her crush, but she didn't quite know how to respond. She debated whether to reveal to him that she had kissed Courtney earlier in the day and had definitely felt something. That he was not alone in his lust for her. "C-Can I date two people at the same time? W-Wouldn't that be, like, cheating? Even if they both know?" Grendy questioned herself. At long last, she was ready for a reply. "I-I like you too Mateo… A-As more than just a friend… " Grendy said as she rolled over and once again her eyes met those of her crush. As if an invisible force were pushing both of them, they moved closer and closer together. Finally, both of their lips met and the duo began making out. Like a summer storm, the encounter was brief, but intense. Breaking the kiss, Grendy knew she had to reveal the truth to Mateo. "B-But there's something you should know…" she began as a look of confusion formed on the boy's face. "Oh great! She probably already is seeing someone or something like that…" Mateo thought to himself as he awaited her impending words of rejection. "You're not the only one with a crush on me…" she revealed as a crestfallen look fell upon the larger teenage boy's face. "W-Well… I can see why… Y-You're an amazing girl…" Mateo tried to mask his disappointment. "I really wanna date you. I have for a while… I have an idea… W-What if you met the other person who has a crush on me? What if all three of us just sat down and figured out what's going on?" Grendy proposed. Mateo mulled the offer over for a moment as the two looked each other in the eyes. "O-Okay…" he replied in a hesitant tone. "Great! Well, the good news is that the other person is here! W-We can go get them and work all this out right now!" Grendy said in a cheery tone as she practically leaped onto the larger teen boy.

A couple of minutes later, Grendy emerged from the tent and walked over to the log that Courtney was seated on. "So… I see that ankle is all better…" the ginger girl said with a chuckle. "Y-Yeah! Mateo made it all better!" she swooned to her one time enemy. "T-that's awesome!" Courtney said with feigned excitement. She had a feeling that her crush had made up her mind as to who she liked more and braced herself for the ensuing let down. "I know, right?!" the slender teen agreed before noticing a frown that was encroaching on the auburn haired teen's face. "C-Can you come to the tent with me for a second? I-I wanted to have a talk with both you and Mateo…" Grendy asked. "Alright?" Courtney replied; unsure of what was going on. Grendy extended her somewhat sweaty hand to the freckled young lady and led her towards the blue structure. "What do you think is going on?" Mabel asked Pacifica before chomping down on a sticky s'more. "I'm not quite sure, but color me intrigued…" the brunette answered her twin sister. The pair watched as the girls disappeared into the tent; curious as to what was transpiring just out of view. Mateo sat in the tent as beads of nervous sweat began to cover his body. He was certain that his crush had feelings for Lucas and braced himself to see his best friend enter the enclosure. Much to his surprise, Grendy came back hand-in-hand with Courtney Corduroy. He had seen girls holding hands all the time, so at first he thought nothing of it. "Mateo… Courtney… I-I wanna just say that I have feelings for both of you. I-I don't know if I feel more strongly for one of you over the other… I-I'm just hella confused right now…" Grendy said as she held her head and tears began to fill her eyes. Courtney clutched the hand of her crush tighter and rested her head on her shoulder. Mateo scooted over and placed a caring hand on her upper back; rubbing it as she began to hyperventilate.

"It's totally okay to feel that way…" Mateo told her as he continued to rub her back. "Grendy, you take as much time as you need… I'll be here no matter what…" Courtney reassured the somewhat upset teen as she stroked the dark brown hair of her crush. "I-I wish that I could just date you both… Like, at the same time!" Grendy stated as the tears now began to stream down her red-hot cheeks. "W-What if you did?" Courtney cautiously asked. "Y-Yeah… I'd be willing to try it…" Mateo agreed. "C-Can you even do that though?! Wouldn't that be, like, cheating or something?" a very confused and unconfident Grendy replied. "I'm cool with it… He's cool with it… If you are, then let's try it…" Courtney said as she pecked the cheek of her crush. "Y-Yeah! Let's do it! D-Date I mean!" Grendy happily agreed as she felt Mateo wipe away a tear from her face. "So… A-Are Courtney and I dating too?" the somewhat portly teenager asked. "No offense Mateo, but I'm not into guys… I-I mean, if I were, I'd think about it… You're a sweet guy… But I just don't feel anything for you…" the ginger girl quickly clarified. "None taken… I just don't like you like that either… Grendy has been my best friend for, like, ever and I only have room in my heart for her…" Mateo replied. All three looked at each other as a sense of joy filled the tent. "So… What do we tell everyone?" Grendy asked. "Just tell them that you're dating both of us…" Mateo answered. " _That should be easy…_ " the ginger girl sarcastically said. "Don't worry… We'll be right there with ya" Courtney reassured her new girlfriend as both she and Mateo held the slender girl's hands.

It was long past midnight when Wendy and Dipper finally decided to return to their hotel room. After visiting a few more bars, Jamie had given the couple her number and vowed to meet up with them the following morning to continue their investigation. "D-Do ya th-think that we're gonna find out w-who's this scumbag is that's tryin' ta make money off of Mabel and Pacifica?" the clearly drunk woman stammered as they rode the elevator to their room. Unlike their trip to Portland many years ago, the duo shared a much more modest accommodation this time. "Y-Yeah… Jamie is gonna help us out… Gonna get to the bottom of this…" Dipper replied as he grasped onto the stainless steel wall of the elevator car. "HaHaHa! Y-You're _sooo_ wasted!" Wendy chuckled as they reached their floor. "S-Says the woman who… Who knocked back shot after shot of vodka…" Dipper retorted as he regained his footing and exited the car with his wife. "Whatever dude… You wish you c-could drink likes me…" the redhead shot back in a boisterous tone. "Shh… Y-You're gonna get us in trouble…" Dipper replied as he held his index finger up to his lips. The hallway seemed endless as they wandered the sixth floor of the ten story building in search of their room. " _617_ … _619_ … Where the fuck is 618!?" the chestnut haired man asked aloud as he was becoming increasingly frustrated with his inability to locate it. "D-Dude… You're on the wrong side of t-the hall… W-We're right here…" the freckled mother of two said as she held her smart watch up to the scanner on the door; a click soon heard as the door slid back into the wall. "M-Member when we went to Portland a-and we couldn't get that stupid little p-plastic card into the slot…" Wendy chuckled as she threw her clutch onto the dresser beside their bed. "Y-Yeah… Y-You got so angry you cried…" Dipper recalled as he took a seat on the end of the bed and kicked off his well-worn skate shoes. "Hey! I-In my defense… I was really trashed… A-And I only cried because I was frustrated… I-I just wanted to get into the room" she defended herself as she stumbled over to the closet and hung up her leather jacket. "Oh, I know why y-you wanted to get in that room so bad…" Dipper teased as he pulled his shirt over his head. "OMG! Mason! Y-you're such a perv sometimes… B-But yeah… I totally wanted to hit that…" she admitted as she too began to shed her clothes. " _Just like you wanna right now?_ " the hazel eyed man said in a hopeful tone of voice. " _Yeah…_ " the redhead sheepishly admitted to her husband as she bit down on her lower lip. She quickly joined him in the queen sized bed as the two began to make love on an early morning in Vancouver.

Grendy, Courtney and Mateo exited the tent and approached the campfire as beads of nervous sweat formed on all three of them. They had agreed to an unconventional relationship and were unsure of how their friends would react to it. "There you guys are!" Tambry said as she tried to cover up for the fact that she had failed to notice their absence. "Yeah, I was wondering where you wondered off to…" Lucas chimed in. They both took note of the fact that both Mateo and Courtney held a hand of Grendy; a nervous smile adorning each of their faces. "Look… We've got something to tell you guys…" Grendy said a she took another step forward. "What is it?" Mabel asked as she practically bounced up and down on the log she sat upon. "Courtney and I are going out…" she answered in a nervous tone as she grasped the hands of her partners tighter. "Didn't see that one coming…" Pacifica deadpanned as she continued to whittle a piece of wood into the shape of a bear. "Paz! W-What she meant to say is that she's happy for you… Isn't that right?" the redhead said as she elbowed her twin in the ribs. "Yeah! That's awesome…" the brunette replied. "And Mateo…" the mahogany haired fifteen year old added as a hush came over the group. "Like, at the same time?" a confused Alessandra asked. "Yeah… I'm dating both Courtney and Mateo… At the same time…" Grendy replied as she stared at the unsure looks of her friends on a cool night in Gravity Falls.

 **Author's Note:** This was one of those chapters that I wrote a few times before I was happy with it. I wanted a proper balance between my main story and the secondary story and found one dominating the narrative more than the other more often than not. This last rewrite was where I was able to strike a balance between the two and I feel that they both carry the story along. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Each one means a lot to me! Also, I saw my first piece of fan art for the Shooting Star Falls AU and I absolutely loved it! I hope to see lots more in the future! How will the Pines twins and their friends react to the unconventional relationship between their friends? Will Grendy be able to handle the stress of dating two people at once? Will Mateo and Courtney be as willing to share the person of their desires as they let on? Will Dipper and Wendy find out who is behind the movie? Answers to all these questions and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Ax & The Flame. -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

The Decemberists – "Severed"

Jonathan Davis – "What It Is"

Starset – "Halo"

Chevelle – "Joyride (Omen)"

Theory Of A Deadman – "Straight Jacket"

Sick Puppies – "Rip Tide"

Nothing But Thieves – "Sorry"

CHVRCHES – "Get Out"

St. Vincent – "Los Ageless"

Rise Against – "House On Fire"

Art Of Dying – "Get Thru This"

Jukebox The Ghost – "Everybody's Lonely"

Rob Zombie – "Foxy Foxy"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	9. Chapter 9

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Nine: Flipping The Script**

"Ugh… Too damn early…" Wendy groaned as she opened her eyes and rolled over to shut off the alarm on her phone. "I feel like I got hit by a damn freight train" Dipper commented in a gravely tone as he clutched his aching head. "This is the last time I drink that much… Until the next time I do…" the auburn haired woman said as she kicked off the comforter and arose from the warmth of the queen sized bed; the observation earning a chuckle from her lover. Wendy was first to grab a shower, as she tended to take a bit longer. As she stood under the warm cascade of water, thoughts of a certain fateful day came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes, only to find the haunting images of Mabel and Pacifica's deaths playing in the theater of her mind for the first time in months. The muffled blast from Robbie's handgun still stuck with her, even after the nearly two decades since. If anything, she was able to hear it better than ever. The whimper of Pacifica as the bullet tore through her torso and instantaneously sentenced her to certain death. She recalled the unsettling thud of the young woman's body hitting the granite steps of the opulent bank; her blood cascading down the staircase akin to a macabre river. Mabel crying out for her gravely injured friend; she heard them all. "NO! NO! NO!" she yelled to herself as the sound of the water hitting the bottom the shower muffled her cries a bit. She began to breathe more rapidly as the next set of unpleasant memories flooded her mind. Robbie's groan as he was hit with the errant round fired by an Oregon State Trooper. The cry as Mabel tried to make her escape amid a volley of gunfire, only to be fatally struck. The thuds of bullets impacting her vest and the burning sensation she felt as one of the rounds grazed her flesh. The immense fear she felt as she collapsed to the concrete sidewalk and saw the ever expanding pool of blood coming from her head; certain that she too was destined to meet her maker on this ever increasingly tragic evening. Opening her eyes, she snapped back to reality; sliding down the wall of the shower as she pulled her knees to her chest. The former officer had felt this way countless times before and knew that she had to retake control of her emotions before she hurt herself or anyone else for that matter. Instead, a new set of thoughts took up residence in her whirlwind of a mind; thoughts of how easy it would be to end her seemingly endless torment.

Just as she began to entertain thoughts of harming herself, she heard the concerned tone of her husband as he stood on the other side of the closed bathroom door. "Honey… I-Is everything alright in there? I-I kinda wanted some warm water too…" the chestnut haired man commented as he tried his best to conceal his fear; the fear that his wife had begun to think about her troubled past once again. That she may have been entertaining thoughts of self-harm, or even worse, acted upon those feelings and hurt herself. Even in the best of times, when things were going well, he always had that nagging thought in the back of his mind. The feeling that he could lose his wife on any given day; that every time he said goodbye or told her that he loved her, that it could very well be the last time. "Y-Yeah… I'm good…" the auburn haired woman hastily replied as she shook the dark thoughts. "J-Just making sure that I'm really clean… I-I mean, we are going to be around actors and actresses today…" she reassured her husband as she stood back up and wiped the tears from her reddened eyes. "Okay…" Dipper replied as he let her be. Walking over to his travel bag, the hazel eyed man removed a small notebook from it and flipped to the last page he had written in. It was a log of times that he had been concerned for his wife's well-being. "Huh… Seven months this time…" he mused to himself as he wrote a brief account about what had just transpired.

Wendy emerged from the bathroom, a cloud of steam following the ginger woman as she strolled nude around the hotel room. Dipper sat up from the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around the alabaster skinned woman; pressing his body against her. "Dude… I-I totally wanna, but we made a promise to Jamie…" Wendy said as she pecked him on his stubble covered cheek. "That's not all I think about, you know… I-I just wanted to hug ya… I-I can hug my wife, can't I?" the thirty-three year old man replied in a defensive tone. "Of course you can…" she relented as the two separated. "Now get your stinky butt in the shower… We've got a mystery to solve…" the redhead replied as she lifted her travel bag onto the bed. She thought of what she was to wear to the set. She didn't want to be underdressed, but at the same time, she wanted to be comfortable and genuine. "Hello old friend…" Wendy said as she held up a green flannel shirt. Having chosen a pair of worn blue jeans and a white camisole, she slid her tattooed arm into the sleeve of the familiar garment. She had worn the shirt since she was fifteen years old, but aside from the top buttons no longer fastening due to the growth of her breasts after becoming pregnant with the twins, it still fit. Dipper exited the bathroom; his jaw nearly hitting the floor as he laid eyes upon his wife. She was dressed the same way that she had been the first time that he had met her in Gravity Falls. Sure, she sported a shorter haircut and her once trademark trapper cap had long since been retired from duty, but other than that he had nearly been convinced that he had stepped back in time. "Like it?" the redhead asked as she looked her husband straight in the eyes. "Wow… That's a blast from the past…" the slightly younger man commented as he pulled his clothes from the bag he had brought. Choosing a pair of light gray slim straight jeans, a red t-shirt and black skate shoes, he quickly got dressed.

The bus ride to the movie set was a relatively short one, as it was located only a few miles away from their hotel. Standing on the sidewalk just outside the gate to get in, Wendy pulled out her phone and placed a call to Jamie. After ringing a few times, the now familiar voice of the younger actress answered. "Hello?" she said; not quite sure of the number that was calling her. "Hey! Jamie! I-It's Wendy… Wendy Corduroy-Pines" the freckled woman began as Dipper watched on. "Oh! Hey! What's up?" the starlet replied. "I wanted to let you know that Dipper and I just arrived outside the gate…" Wendy informed her. "Alright… I'm just wrapping up here, so I'll be there in a few to get you guys passes!" she eagerly said before hanging up. "Well?" inquired Dipper. "She's on her way! I-I'm kinda excited to be on an actual movie set…" the ginger woman mused aloud. "It is pretty neat…" Dipper admitted. He had taken classes on cinematography and was eager to see what their filming set up was like. A few moments later, Jamie appeared at the gate. The actress was dressed in a Gravity Falls Police Department uniform, which came as a bit of a surprise to both Dipper and Wendy. "Whoa…" Dipper commented. "I-I know… Right?!" Wendy agreed as Jamie wondered what the big deal was. After thinking about it for a moment, she realized that seeing someone dressed as Wendy was on that day might come as a bit of a shock. "Oh! Sorry! I-I just came from my fitting in wardrobe…" the young woman apologized as the trio walked through the security gate and onto the busy backlot of the studio. "It's fine… It's just that… Well, I didn't wear my uniform like that at all…" Wendy commented with a chuckle. "What do you mean? I-It's how the official style guide said to wear it…" she replied in an unsure tone. "Dude… If you knew Wendy, then you'd know she never follows the rules..." Dipper informed the somewhat confused woman. "Especially when it came to how I was told to dress…" Wendy added. "Okay then… How did you wear the uniform?" Jamie asked with intrigue. Being a method actress, she craved to get every detail right and was eager to see what she was doing wrong.

"Okay… First off… I never really buttoned up my shirt all the way. Try undoing a few of them…" Wendy suggested. Following her instructions, the younger actress undid the first three buttons on the tan tactical shirt, revealing her white t-shirt she wore underneath. "Alright… Now loosen up that tie… a lot" she advised Jamie. Grasping the olive green accessory, she did just that. "Almost there… I liked to sleep in a bit and sometimes I only tucked my shirt in halfway… That day was one of those days…" she continued as she grabbed the tan garment and pulled it from beneath her waistband. "Okay… So now I'm good, right?" Jamie asked. "Your hair…" Wendy replied. "What of it?" the actress wondered aloud. "Well… You have your hair in a tight bun… I never, and I mean _never_ , wore it like that…" the ginger woman commented as she walked behind the woman. "I wore it in a low and loose ponytail…" Wendy matter-of-factly said as she undid the hairdo and restyled it. Looking to Dipper to see if she had properly recreated her look on that day, the chestnut haired man shot her a thumbs up and a smile. "Huh… Well… The director and producer never told me any of that… They pretty much handed the Gravity Falls Police Department handbook to my stylist and told them to follow it…" Jamie said as she played with her new hairdo. "Speaking of the producer… C-Can I meet them? I have a few choice words for them…" the ginger woman said as slight scowl came over her freckled face. "Oh, yeah! Of course! Follow me!" the actress exclaimed as she took the hand of the former officer and practically dragged her through the movie lot.

Along the way, the thirty-six year old woman spied a rolled up document stuffed into the holster on the actress' hip. "Hey Jamie?" she asked with a bit of uneasiness in her voice. "Yeah?" the young A-lister replied. "I was wondering… C-Can I take a look at that script?" Wendy inquired as her impromptu tour guide came to a halt. "Yeah! Of course!" she said with excitement as she removed the document and handed it to her. A certain name on the cover page caught her attention and a sudden look of anger formed on her face. " _A Gleeful-Northwest Production_ " it read in a plain font. "Get a load of this, Dip!" Wendy said as she held the script high and slapped it with the back of her hand before lowering it back down so he could read it. "A Gleeful-Northwest Production?! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" the thirty three year old man exclaimed as he began to mirror the temperament of his wife. "WHO THE FUCK DO THESE ASSHOLES THINK THEY ARE?! J-JUST SWOOPING IN ON THE CARCASS OF OUR TRAGEDY TO MAKE A GODDAMN BUCK! C'MON MASON! LET'S GO KICK THEIR ASSES!" the enraged woman shouted as she harshly grabbed the wrist of her lover and began to storm off before pausing. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE PRODUCERS?!" the freckled woman shouted to a man dressed in a white button up shirt. The man was stunned by the sudden outburst and nearly dropped his tablet as she approached him. "I. SAID. WHERE. THE. FUCK. IS. THE. PRODUCER?!" Wendy said as she got in the face of the frightened younger man. "P-Probably in their trailer…" the man stuttered. "AND JUST WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT AT?!" the green flannel clad woman shouted as she stomped her skate shoe clad foot into the pavement below as the red hot rage continued to flow through her. The frightened man simply pointed to a large mobile trailer on the far side of the lot. Satisfied with the answer, she and Dipper once again set course for the producers as she began to thumb through the script. Jamie ran up to the bewildered man, who had pulled out his phone and was about to call security. "I'm _SO_ sorry about that… P-Please forgive her… She's with me" the actress said as she shot him a set of doe eyes and pouted her lip a bit in an effort to win him over. The last thing she needed right now was for the actual person she was portraying to get kicked off of the lot by security. "I-It's fine Miss LeCroix…" the younger man replied as he put the cellular device back into his pocket.

While Dipper was just as angry at his wife, he kept it just below the surface. He wanted to tell his wife to calm down a bit, but he knew that it would be hypocritical of him to do so. That and the last thing he wanted was for his wife to turn her now white hot rage onto him. "I can't wait to give them a piece of my mind!" Dipper said to his wife as they neared the opulent trailer. "Oh, I'm gonna give them both more than a piece of my mind, dude…" Wendy growled through gritted teeth as they began their walk up the metal stairs of the portable structure. The petite hand of the auburn haired woman formed a tight fist and soon it began to pound on the wooden door of the trailer. Much to Wendy and Dipper's surprise, a statuesque bleach blonde woman answered the door. "Yes?" the woman inquired; a brightly colored mixed drink of some kind clutched in her left hand. "Mrs. Northwest?!" Dipper replied with a bit of shock. He had assumed that Preston Northwest would be the one to answer the door and had mentally prepared himself for a verbal sparring match with the now aged man. Having gone toe to toe with the uppity patriarch of the family on many occasions while dating Pacifica, he knew how to manipulate him. On the contrary, his interactions with his girlfriend's mother were far more pleasant. "M-Mason?! My, my… Somebody's gone and grown up on me…" the now fifty-one year old woman commented as she took a good look at him. The lanky teenager her daughter had dated nearly two decades ago had grown into a rugged man. "Just what's this all about Priscilla?" a somewhat shrill voice interjected. The blonde looked at a pair of auburn haired women, who at first glance appeared to be sisters. "Pardon?" she replied in a confused tone. "You know exactly what I'm talking about Northwest… This movie… Why? Why are you doing this to us?!" Wendy shot back. "Come in and we'll talk about this…" Priscilla said as she walked back into the trailer.

Walking up the stairs and into the temporary structure, Wendy, Dipper and Jamie were motioned to sit at a large dining table. "Can I get you anything?" Priscilla asked as she grabbed a glass pitcher from the refrigerator and poured herself another glass of the bright pink colored drink she had been sipping on. "No… We're good…" Wendy answered for the group. "I just want to know… Why? That's, like, all I want…" Wendy said in a flat tone as she tried to keep her composure. Every fiber of her being told her to leap across the table and attack the older woman, but she knew that she couldn't act on her impulses if she were to find out the truth she so desperately sought. "Why am I making the movie?" the blonde asked before taking a big gulp of the drink. Dipper, Wendy and Jamie all caught the alcoholic scent that wafted from both her breath and glass. "Yes. That is what I want an answer to…" Wendy replied through gritted teeth as her patience was growing thinner and thinner by the second. "I-I want people to know Pacifica's story… That she was so much more than what people thought of her… That she wasn't just some rich spoiled girl…" the blonde mother said as her sapphire eyes began to water. "But I already know her story… A-And so do you… A-And Preston… Isn't that enough?" Dipper commented as he took a firm grasp of the edge of the table; his knuckles turning white from the amount of pressure he applied as he tried to hold back his anger. "With all due respect Mason, I want others to know her story. Her truth…" the matriarch of the Northwest family replied. "SO YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE HER LOOK PERFECT BY MAKING OTHERS LOOK LIKE SHIT?! I-IS THAT YOUR PLAN?!" Wendy said as she stood up from her chair, gripped both sides of the table and leaned across it to get in the face of Priscilla. Dipper placed a hand on the lower back of his wife in an effort to keep her calm. He knew that while the blonde woman was usually nice, she also was incredibly passive aggressive at times. Her main weapon of choice was backhanded compliments and he knew that his lover would absolutely lose it if the older woman were to use one on her.

"I don't know what you're talking about… I'm just trying to tell the story of Pacifica" Priscilla stonewalled as Wendy reached her boiling point. She took the script she had borrowed from Jamie, flipped it to a blue page and practically threw it in the fifty-one year old's face. "THIS! TH-THAT YOU SAID I WAS INVOLVED WITH ROBBIE! I HADN'T TALKED TO THAT ASSHOLE IN NEARLY TWO YEARS! Yeah, we dated once… But he was just a lying, manipulative asshole… I wish I could have stopped the son of a bitch from doing what he did!" Wendy said as she began to break down; collapsing into the seat beneath her. "T-That's not what Preston said the research firm he hired told him. W-We should have just talked to you guys…" Priscilla said with a bit of shame in her voice. "Then why didn't you?!" Dipper interjected. "Preston said the firm had… He said that they conducted a full interview with the both of you… You mean to tell me that they didn't?!" the sundress clad woman shouted with disbelief. "No. Nobody ever talked to us. I-In fact… If we hadn't decided to come up here for vacation and heard about the movie by pure chance, then we would still have no idea…" Wendy informed her as she wiped away her tears. She gazed into the blue eyes of the woman seated across from her and tried to see if she were telling the absolute truth. Part of her training in the police academy was to read body language for tells that a suspect was lying. As far as Wendy could tell, the woman was being truthful, which honestly left her a bit unsettled. She expected Priscilla lie through her teeth to try and save face, but instead was met with someone who was just as dumbfounded by the situation as she was.

"Mrs. Northwest, if I may… I'd like to get Wendy and Dipper to meet with the writers and actors to try and make this right. I simply won't be associated with a picture that is anything less than honest" Jamie jumped in. "W-We're already a month into production… T-to do a total re-write of the script could take weeks… Months even… My co-producer is already on my case about budget overruns and missed deadlines…" Priscilla said before taking yet another large sip of the drink she held; her thin hand trembling as she did so. "I hate to do this, but either it gets done or I walk…" the young actress doubled down. The blonde woman looked at the trio seated across the table from her as she mulled her options. She could continue on as planned, but losing one of her stars this far along would effectively be just as disruptive as rewriting the script. "Alright… I'll call a meeting for the writers this afternoon and inform them that there will be changes to the script… You can tell them what to fix. What's inaccurate" Priscilla caved. "Thank you… I-I know that you want to show people a true and honest depiction of your daughter. That's all I want for myself as well. I have a feeling that there are still some people in Gravity Falls that think those horrible things about me are true and I would love to set the record straight once and for all…" Wendy said as her expression softened and she shed her anger. "One more thing…" the fifty-one year old said as the trio stood up from the table. "What's that?" asked Dipper with curiosity. "If this movie is going to be one hundred percent accurate, then I need the people who actually lived through it to make sure that we keep it that way. I would like to offer you two the position of creative consultants for this film…" the sundress clad woman said as she extended her hand. "Look… That would be awesome and all, but we have to get back to our daughters… Our lives in Gravity Falls…" Wendy answered. "You can telecommute… I promise that you won't have to come up here at all… We'll just send you updates and the latest version of the script, that way we can make sure that everything is accurate…" the blonde clarified. "Well… I guess that could work…" Wendy replied as she turned to her husband. "Yeah… I'm on board with that…" the chestnut haired man agreed. "This calls for a drink!" Priscilla exclaimed. "Dude, if I even catch a whiff of booze right now, I am so gonna hurl…" Wendy said. "Alright then… More for me!" Mrs. Northwest replied as the trio exited the trailer. "So… Now that we're through that, what do you wanna do?" Wendy turned and asked her companions. "Well… I can give you a tour of the lot..." Jamie offered to the married couple. Wendy's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Oooo! Can we?! Can we?!" the energetic redhead pleaded with her husband. "Sure… Just don't get angry if I stop to ask a million questions about lighting setups and filming techniques…" the thirtysomething replied. A confused look came over the face of Jamie. "He produces and films his own web series about hunting mythical monsters around the world… He's kinda a dork for that stuff…" Wendy said with a chuckle as the trio began to walk around the movie set on a sunny day in Vancouver, British Columbia.

 **Author's Note:** This chapter took a little longer to write than I was anticipating, but free time was hard to find this month. Since this chapter is about Wendy and Dipper, I'm going to make the next one all about the kids. Will they find out why the gnomes were after the spellbook? What will happen as the reality that Grendy is dating both Mateo and Courtney settles in? Will Tambry be able to survive the third and final day of the camping trip or will the pack of teens wear her down? Answers to all this and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax. -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Seether – "Same Damn Life"

From Ashes To New – "Crazy"

Red Sun Rising – "Deathwish"

Puddle Of Mudd – "Famous" (The song I thought of when Wendy & Dipper first walk onto the lot)

Papa Roach – "Periscope (Ft. Skylar Grey)"

PVRIS – "What's Wrong"

Seether – "Save Today"

Lissie – "Best Days"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	10. Chapter 10

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Ten: Head On Collison**

The sun rose on Gravity Falls, Oregon and the forest began to stir once more. Grendy Chiu had spent the night tossing and turning in her sleeping bag as she wondered if she had made the right choice the previous evening. On one hand, she was relieved that her feelings for Mateo had not only finally been shared with the somewhat portly teen, but reciprocated by him as well. On the other hand, she had also caught feelings for Courtney Corduroy and wanted to explore their relationship further after the impromptu kiss earlier that weekend had sparked something hidden deep inside her. While she was unsure of how to date two people simultaneously, Grendy knew that she would try her best to make sure that both of her admirers would receive equal amounts of attention and love from her while she figured out her feelings about them. Surprisingly, her friends took the news well; except for Pacifica Pines, whose sarcastic comments stung the mahogany haired teen. The cool morning air filled the tent and soon the sounds of the teeming wilderness began to act as an alarm clock for the young woman. Opening her hazel eyes, Grendy sat up in the blue tent and looked around at the still slumbering Mabel, Pacifica and Alessandra. A second tent housed Mateo and Lucas, while Tambry had opted to sleep in her minivan with the driver's seat reclined; the soft cloth providing much more support for her tender lower back than the rough ground could. Having fractured two of her lumbar vertebrae in a car accident, the injury still caused her occasional pain from time to time, even years later. " _Psst_ … _Court_ …" the lanky fifteen year old whispered to the redhead situated next to her; careful to try and not wake up the other girls. A slight mumble was heard from her before she rolled over and resumed her rest. " _Courtney…_ " Grendy again said, this time in a slightly louder tone. The fourteen year old rolled back over and let out a small snore; slightly frustrating her newly minted girlfriend a bit. Suddenly, a crazy idea popped into mind of Grendy. Leaning over, she planted her supple lips onto those of the resting girl. Courtney shot up at the sensation and proceeded to head-butt the slightly older girl.

" **FUCK!** " Grendy exclaimed as she grasped her aching nose. " **SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK, DUDE?!** " Courtney replied as she ran a finger over her lower lip, feeling a deep gash in it. " **HUH? WHA?** " Mabel asked with confusion as she tried to shake her grogginess. Rubbing her eyes, she saw both Grendy and Courtney's faces covered in blood. " **OHMYGOD!** " the auburn haired teen shouted as she wondered what had happened. "Ugh… This better be damn good… I was dreaming about Justin Towers Jr…" Pacifica grumbled as she too began to wake up. The sight of two bloodied girls and her nearly hysterical twin sister left a lot of questions for her to ask. "PAZ! Get Aunt Tambers! Stat!" her sister barked at her. "What the fuck happened?" she asked while grabbing for a pair of blue cotton shorts to put on. "I-I don't know!" the dumbfounded ginger girl replied. "Also… Not that I'm dumb or anything, but what's stat mean?" Pacifica asked as she stood up and stepped over Alessandra, who by some small miracle had managed to remain fast asleep amid all the commotion. "Paz!" Mabel chastised her while pointing to the opening of the tent. "Alright! Alright! Geez!" the brunette mumbled as she sprinted from the structure to go and get some help. "I-I think it's broken! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Grendy said with an angry tone as she tilted her head back to try and stop the bleeding. Instead, she began to taste the blood that trickled down her throat. "H-How bad is it Mabes?!" Courtney inquired as she pulled her hands away from her face for a moment; her petite digits covered in dark red blood. Taking a glance at the wound, she saw that it was pretty deep and would likely require stitches to close. " _Ehh…_ " was all the thirteen year old girl replied with; unsure if she should reveal just how bad it was to her cousin.

Meanwhile, Pacifica had reached the minivan her Aunt Tambry was sleeping in. " **AUNT TAMBRY! AUNT TAMBRY!** " the teen girl shouted as she knocked on the glass window. The violet haired woman rolled over in the seat, opened her eyes and spied a frantic Pacifica pounding on the window. Fear filled her mind as she wondered what could be so urgent at such an early hour. "OH SHIT! T-The gnomes! They must have come back!" she thought to herself as she unlocked the door so her goddaughter could talk to her. "Aunt Tambry! Grendy and Courtney are hurt!" the brunette said as thirty-six year old practically jumped out of her seat at the news. "What happened?! H-How badly?!" the olive skinned woman shouted as she hastily grabbed a grey zip up hoodie from the passenger seat, slid on her shoes and exited the vehicle. "I-I don't know! All I heard was them shouting and then Mabel told me to go and get you!" the somewhat scared teen informed her. Tambry lifted up the rear hatch of the silver van and removed a small red duffle bag from it that contained medical supplies. The pair sprinted back towards the tent, where they hoped the situation had calmed down a bit; Tambry hoping to herself that it was just an exaggeration and not a true emergency. Thinking on her feet, Mabel had taken the t-shirt she had worn the previous day and torn the sleeves off of it. "Here! Stuff these in your nose and keep your head tilted back!" the young woman instructed her friend; recalling the training she had received from her Grandpa on one of their camping trips a few years ago. Wadding the pieces of fabric up, she did just as her younger pal said and shoved them into her nasal openings. Taking the rest of the shirt, she tore off another piece of it and handed it to Courtney. "Press this against your lip!" she ordered her older cousin. The rest of the now destroyed garment was used to help clean up the girls, who looked like they had just gone twelve rounds in a boxing ring.

Tambry poked her head into the tent and spied Mabel with her back to them; Courtney and Grendy sitting up against the blue wall of the temporary structure. "What happened?" the very curious adult asked. "W-Well… I was trying to wake Courtney up and she pretty much head-butted me in the nose…" the chestnut haired girl said in a nasally voice as tears filled her eyes. "I felt something on my face! I-I thought it was a spider or something!" Courtney shot back in a defensive tone. Taking a better look at the two girls, Tambry decided that it may be best to cut their trip short and go to the emergency room. "Alright… We've gotta get you two checked out. Everyone pack up and be ready as soon as you can… I'm going to wake the boys up…" Tambry said as she crawled backwards out of the tent. "Ow!" a small voice yelped in pain. Tambry had crawled over the legs of Alessandra, who had somehow managed to sleep through the ordeal up to that point. "OMG! I'm _so_ sorry Allie! You okay sweetie?" the purple haired woman apologized to the ten year old. "Yeah, I'm okay Mrs. Bennet" the sandy haired girl replied; a thumbs up helping to reassure Tambry that she was telling the truth. "Ugh… I just knew something like this would happen… I'm all like, ' _Yeah, you can totally leave your kids with me… They'll be fine, I promise_ '… A-And now I'm taking two of them to the fuckin' emergency room… Way to prove everyone right, dumbass!" she mumbled to herself as she approached the smaller green tent the boys slept in. Unzipping the door, she poked her head in to see her son and Mateo still fast asleep. Part of her didn't want to wake up the teen boys, but she knew that she had to get the pair of injured girls to the hospital as quickly as she could.

" _Mateo_ … _Lucas_ … Time to wake up, dudes…" she said in a soft voice. Lucas stirred at the sound of his mother's voice and his hazel eyes soon fluttered open. "Mornin' Mom…" the dark haired teen answered as he stretched his arms above his head and let out a large yawn. "Yo! Mateo! Wake up, man!" Lucas shouted as he shoved the still sleeping teenager. "Ow!" the portly sixteen year old yelped as he rolled over; wondering why he was waking up so early. "Guys, we have to pack up… Courtney and Grendy had a little accident and we've gotta take them to the ER…" the violet haired woman informed them. "What happened?! Are they gonna be okay?!" a concerned Mateo asked. "Y-Yeah! T-Totally! They just banged noggins, but I think it's a good idea to get them checked out…" Tambry reassured the sixteen year old; conveniently leaving out the fact that Grendy had broken her nose and Courtney had nearly bit through her lower lip. Mateo pointed his index finger and began to raise his hand before the olive skinned woman continued. "To answer your next question… Yes, we will grab some food at YumberJacks afterwards…" Tambry said. "You know me too well Mrs. B" the portly teen chuckled as he began to fold his clothes and place them into a duffle bag. "Pfft… Girls. Am I right?" the spiky haired Lucas scoffed as he rolled his clothes into a ball and shoved them into a backpack. "I dunno dude… I've hit my head, like, tons of times and it doesn't ever hurt any less… Plus, your Mom is just looking out for them, seeing as she's in charge and all…" Mateo pointed out as he packed away his sleeping bag. "I guess…" was all Lucas had to say as he exited the tent with his belongings.

The dark haired son of Tambry spied the girls huddled around the tailgate of the minivan. "Let's see just how big of a wimp these girls are…" the confident teen thought to himself as a smirk formed on his face. His view was blocked by his mother's back, although he could hear both Grendy and Courtney's voices. They did sound a bit off, but he dismissed it as being that the girls had just woken up. For a moment, he was convinced that he was right. That the girls were just being drama queens and hamming up whatever injuries they may have suffered. That bravado was instantaneously shattered when the violet haired woman moved a bit to the side and he caught his first good look at the teenagers seated in the back of the van. "H-Holy shit!" he stuttered to himself as he gazed upon the battered faces of his acquaintances. Grendy looked to have taken the brunt of whatever had hurt them, as her nose now resembled the twisting mountain roads of their hometown; a pair of shiners adorning her face like poorly applied makeup. Courtney, while suffering from a swollen and split lip, seemed to be in much better spirits; her white camisole and pink cotton shorts peppered with blood stains. Almost turning on a proverbial dime, he rushed back to the tent to inform his best friend of just how wrong he had been. He thought of how to tell the portly teen that his girlfriend had been hurt far worse than he had been led to believe. "He's not gonna take this well…" the spikey raven haired boy commented to himself as he thought back to the last time he had to inform his friend of some bad news. Granted, it was just a television show Mateo enjoyed that had been canceled, but to him it had been as if he had lost a loved one. For weeks, he sulked around the Mystery Shack, mourning the loss of his favorite sci-fi program. The injury to his new love interest might just eclipse the loss of Professor Whatsit in the young man's mind, however.

Tambry picked up her phone; her hands trembling with fear as she scrolled through her contacts to find Grenda's number. "She's gonna be so pissed at me…" the olive skinned woman thought to herself as she pressed the button that would connect her to the somewhat intimidating woman. While she had interacted with the deep-voiced brunette over the years, she didn't consider her a dear friend. In fact, if it hadn't been for the fact that Dipper and Wendy were mutual friends, she doubted that they would have even still talked with each other. Pressing send, the phone began to ring as a few nervous beads of sweat formed on her brow. Just how would she tell Grenda that her daughter had broken her nose? That she was heading to the emergency room? She was so lost in her own thoughts that she had forgotten that she placed the call in the first place. Finally, a husky voice responded. "Hello?" the trademark tone of Grenda inquired. "H-Hey… Grenda" Tambry began; the slightly older woman's voice trembling as she continued. "I-I don't know how to say this… So I'm just going to say it. Grendy broke her nose. S-She's doing okay, all things considered… B-But I'm taking her up to the emergency room right now… I'm so sorry…" Tambry explained as she continued to stumble over her words; her usual bravado replaced by a much less confident tone. "How'd it happen?" Grenda asked in a flat tone that worried the purple haired woman a bit. "S-She was trying to wake up Courtney and pretty much got head-butted in the ol' schnozzle…" Tambry nervously chuckled; hoping that Grenda would see the humor in it. "I broke mine for the first time while sledding when I was eight…" the deep voiced woman said somewhat proudly. "S-So you're not angry?!" the olive skinned woman replied with a bit of relief. "Nah! I'm surprised that it took this long for her to hurt herself… It kinda runs in our family. Besides, kids will be kids" the brunette admitted before continuing her thought. "Candy and I will meet you up at the hospital shortly…" she concluded. "Alright… That sounds good!" Tambry replied as she ended the call; letting out a deep sigh as she placed the phone back into her pocket.

Soon, the campsite was packed up and the troupe of teens piled into the minivan for their short journey to Gravity Falls Regional Medical Center. Mateo, who had thought the younger Lucas was greatly exaggerating about the girls' injuries, now sat in the back seat with Grendy in the middle and Courtney on the other side of their shared girlfriend. "Luh… I'm so sowy fo' wha' ah did… I-I wha jhust tryin' to do somen' I saw in a mohie. If I ha ehe idea tha it wa goin to ehd uh lite it did, I'd ave nehah ehen thaut about eht…" Grendy replied as she continued to tilt her head upwards in an attempt to keep the blood from running down her face. "It's alright… Like you said, how could you known that was going to go so spectacularly bad?" Courtney replied as she grasped the hand of her girlfriend. "I'm glad one of us understood her… I couldn't make heads or tails on that…" Mateo commented; Courtney's eyes staring at him with a bit of anger in them. "What does she see in this doofus…" the redhead thought to herself as she turned her attention back to her injured crush. "So… Other than this, did you kids have fun on the trip?" Tambry inquired from the driver's seat as she looked into the rearview mirror for a moment. "Yeah… Mateo and I found this little guy!" the twelve year old said as he reached into his backpack and removed a bright green snake from it. "AHHH!" Pacifica and Alessandra shouted in unison as they looked over and spied the reptile. "Aww! He's so cute!" Mabel gushed as she saw her sister begin to freak out. " **LUCAS SCOTT BENNETT! I WANT THAT THING OUT OF MY VAN RIGHT NOW!** The last thing I need is for one of you to get bit by a venomous snake!" Tambry exclaimed to her son as she pulled the vehicle over onto the shoulder of the road. " _But Mom…_ " the preteen whined. "Actually, Mrs. B, that is a Gardner snake. It's pretty harmless as far as they go…" Courtney chimed in a matter-of-factly tone. While she could be a spoiled brat sometimes, at the end of the day she was still a Corduroy through and through. One of the ginger teen's greatest passions was studying animals and she hoped one day to become a veterinarian. "Ugh! Fine! Whatever! But so help me God… If that thing gets loose in the house, you're paying for animal control to come out and find it…" the violet haired woman relented as she put the vehicle back into drive and pulled back onto the road.

Sitting upon a hill that overlooked Gravity Falls, the glass clad exterior of the four story Gravity Falls Regional Medical Center could be seen from nearly anywhere in the small town. Tambry Bennett was quite familiar with the facility, as she had visited it many more times than she would have cared to if the choice were hers. She recalled the time that Wendy had gotten into a fight with an out of town girl who had drifted in from the coast. Her best friend had passed out in the expansive parking lot she now parked her minivan in nearly two decades later. Stepping out of the vehicle, thoughts ran through her mind of how she had been admitted to the campus after going in to full cardiac arrest following the attempted murder of both Wendy and Dipper on the eve of their pregnancy announcement. She even recalled the happiest moment of her life; the birth of her son Lucas occurring in a room on the third floor. Walking through the sliding doors of the emergency department, she took note of how different the reception area looked compared to the last time she had been there. Gone were the hard plastic row seating that were akin to bus seats; instead, soft clothed chairs now filled the hardwood floored waiting room. "You guys go chill over there… I've gotta get these two checked in" the olive skinned woman instructed her group of teens. Pacifica, Mabel, Mateo, Lucas and Alessandra followed Tamrby's orders and found a place to sit. A large eighty inch television was built into the wall and currently was showing highlights of the Seattle Navigators baseball game that had taken place the previous evening.

Jeff the gnome had arrived back at a stately home on the outskirts of Gravity Falls. Knocking on the door, he was greeted by a woman dressed in a black pencil skirt, a white button up blouse with a skinny black tie and a black blazer. Her blonde hair pulled back into a high and tight ponytail, she led the way to an office at the end of a long hallway. "Senator… You have a visitor…" the voice of the professional looking woman announced as a large brown leather office chair spun around. "Where?" the voice of a man inquired as he looked around the dimly lit room. Bookcases lined the office, along with an Oregon and Cascadian Republic flag. Kneeling down, the woman laid her hand flat and Jeff walked onto it. The elevator like ride took him to the top of a dark wooden desk. "Thank you Amber…" the voice once again said as the woman left the room. "B-Boss… We found it…" the miniature man with the pointy red hat began to explain. "Well, if y'all found it, then why isn't it here?" the voice of the shadow cloaked man inquired; a tone of anger overtaking it. "Well… We, uh, kinda got distracted… And, well…" the grey bearded man said as he dug his hands into his pockets. "Sounds like you failed to me. I don't tolerate failure in my administration" the voice sternly stated. "W-We know who has it though… P-Please give me another chance! I won't let you down again" Jeff pleaded. "Alright… Suppose I give you another chance... Who has it?" the man asked in a flat tone; beads of nervous sweat adorning the skin of the gnome. "Th-These girls… O-One's a brunette… The other is a redhead. Th-They looked alike… Maybe twins?" Jeff stuttered. "Twins… Why is it always twins?" the man commented to himself as he grabbed a handful of gummy bears from a glass dish and tossed them into his mouth. "Well… This has been swell, but I'm just gonna go now" the gnome said as he turned around and tried to figure out a way to get off the desk. "One more thing Jeff…" the voice called out; the one foot tall man turning around. "I said that don't tolerate failure…" he coldly stated as a blue flash came from the palm of his hand, instantly freezing the gnome. "I'll find that book… And then, I'll become the most powerful being in this universe! HaHaHaHa!" the man laughed maniacally as he spun his chair back around.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry about how long this has taken, but I was kinda stuck on where to go as far as Mabel and Pacifica's story went. I now have it all planned out and trust me, it's awesome. The next chapter may take a little while as well, as I'm taking a vacation to Oregon and Washington for the next week. I plan on visiting Boring, which inspired Alex Hirsch to create Gravity Falls. I hear there may be a guy that makes deals in that town. If the offer is good, I might just shake on it with him. Who is the mysterious disembodied voice and why does he want the spellbook so badly? What will happen when Wendy and Dipper have a meeting with the writers of the movie? Answers to these questions and new ones to ponder over in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax. -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Red Sun Rising – "Deathwish"

Demi Lovato – "Neon Lights"

Why Don't We – "Trust Fund Baby"

P!nk – "Beautiful Trauma"

Taylor Swift – "Delicate"

5 Seconds Of Summer – "Good Girls"

Macklemore/Kesha – "Good Old Days"

Vicetone – "Fix You"

The Offspring – "Hit That"

AJR! – "Burn The House Down"

Dirty Heads / The Unlikely Candidates – "Celebrate"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	11. Chapter 11

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Eleven: Pure Heroine**

"Hey Paz… You ever get that feeling that something bad just happened?" Mabel Pines asked her sister as the two continued to sit with their friends in the hospital waiting room. "Eh… Sometimes. Like those nights when Dad tells us he's cooking…" the brunette replied; a giggle escaping her as she recalled her father's less than excellent cooking skills. " _True_ … But I was being serious. I just got this feeling like something isn't right" the ginger teen continued. "Like I said, sometimes I do…" Pacifica answered as she swung her feet back and forth. "Well, I just got this feeling that something evil is afoot. I'm being silly, aren't I?" Mabel wondered aloud. "Sis, a year or two ago I would have made fun of you for saying something like that, but now… Ever since Mom and Dad told us about that Weirdmageddon thing, anything's possible" the freckled twin reassured her. "I-Is that why you're studying that book so much? Why you're trying to learn those spells?" Mabel asked as she looked into a set of eyes that mirrored her own. "To be honest… Yeah. I-I've been having nightmares ever since they told us about that summer. I had always noticed that something is just a tad strange about this town, but I could never really put my finger on why that could be. I wrote it off as us just living out in the middle of nowhere and everyone just having a strong personality, but it really started to make sense after being told all that. Mabes, that thing was dangerous. It could have ended the world if it weren't for Mom, Dad and everyone else working together. I-I just think it's better to be prepared for something that may never happen, rather than be caught off guard by something like that. I believe I found that book for a reason and I'm going to take full advantage of what it has to offer. Apparently I'm not the only one who has an interest in it…" the chestnut haired girl concluded. Mabel nodded in agreement as she pondered what her sister had just told her.

Meanwhile, in the emergency department, both Grendy and Courtney had been seen by the doctor. Mabel was correct in her assumption that her cousin would have to receive stitches to close the wound in her lip; seven of them to be exact. Grendy had to have her nose reset and now sported a large bandage across the bridge of her nose. The pain was immense and tears were shed by the gangly teen girl, which caused her cheeks to go red with embarrassment. The daughter of the hailed athlete Grenda Grenderson felt like a disappointment for not being able to take the pain like her mother would have. Tambry noticed that she was feeling down and walked over towards the mahogany maned teen, who sat on the end of a hospital bed. "Hey… Everything alright?" the olive skinned woman said as she sat down beside her. "Yeah! I-I'm doing a lot better now Mrs. Bennett!" the fifteen year old fibbed as an overly fake smile adorned her face. "Grendy, honey, I know when someone's lying to me… What's the matter sweetheart?" the thirty-six year old inquired as she put a caring hand on the shoulder of the upset young woman; Grendy letting out a deep sigh as she shed her facade. "I-It's just that… Well… M-My Mom wouldn't have cried like that when they were fixing my nose. I-I know that I'm nothing like her… A-And I guess it just makes me really upset sometimes. I mean, when she was my age, she was already winning competitions and championships. I-I still don't know what I wanna do with my life" Grendy admitted as fresh tears filled her eyes once more. Tambry felt bad for the young woman, as she too had felt like a disappointment to her parents over the years. While they had both been very successful business leaders, she worked for the local news station. They had traveled all over the world making deals that were worth more than the GDP of some small countries, while she stayed put in the small Oregon town. She had received an offer to become an on-air journalist for a television station in Sacramento, California many years ago, but decided to keep her roots firmly planted in Gravity Falls. "Grendy, that's perfectly fine. I didn't find out that I wanted to be a journalist until my junior year of high school. Even then, I was scared that I wouldn't be any good at it. Just take your time and listen to your heart…" Tambry said in an effort to comfort her. "Y-You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" a skeptical Grendy inquired. "Not at all…" the thirty-six year old reassured her as she pulled the girl into a caring hug.

Wendy and Dipper continued their guided tour of the movie lot. While most of the movie would be filmed in a town about twenty miles north of the bustling metropolis, the interior shots would take place inside a sound stage. Walking up to the hangar-like building, Jamie held her watch up to the scanner and soon the trio were inside. An exact replica of the Mystery Shack's gift shop stood before them; save for one wall being removed for filming purposes. "Where do you suppose they got all that Mystery Shack swag from?" asked Dipper to his wife. "I don't know... I didn't think they made this much stuff... Especially with all the ways Stan would swindle his suppliers and vendors..." Wendy commented as she recalled just how cheap the old man could be. Part of her missed those far more simple days when she would kick her feet up on the register, crack open a Pitt Cola, stealthily place an earbud in one ear and bury her face in a magazine. A memory came rushing back to her and she quickly sprinted over the checkout stand. Disappearing behind it for a second, Jamie and Dipper were both befuddled by what she could be up to. "I thought so..." the auburn haired woman said to herself as she stood up; a smirk displayed on her freckled face. "The set designer did a good job, but not quite good enough..." she explained while waving for her husband and the actress to join her. She pointed to a shelf which contained a Pitt Cola, a copy of Indie Fuzz Magazine and a brown trapper cap. "You see... The in the summer of 2015, I finally realized that I did have feelings for you, Dipper. I had tried my best to bury them deep down, but they kept bubbling back up to the surface. I recognized that I was being hypocritical when I said that I was too old for you. What if it had been the other way around? What if I was the one who had a crush on you and after finally admitting it, was told that you thought you were too young for me. In fact, I was going to tell you that I felt that way about you at Tambry's house party, but then I got my ass handed to me and Pacifica walked in on you and Tambry..." the ginger woman recalled. "I-I never knew..." a somewhat stunned Dipper commented as Jamie looked on. "Well... I was going to tell you in the hospital, but at the last second I saw you holding Pacifica's hand and I realized that I had missed my chance to be with you. The next day at work, I took my knife and carved our names into this shelf..." the redhead said as her emerald eyes began to fill with tears. "I told myself that maybe it could still happen someday. That just like the carving on this shelf, my love for you would never fade" the somewhat emotional woman said as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

Wendy knew that she had brought the mood down in the room and had to elevate it a bit. "Stan noticed it and got really angry at me. He said that I can't just go and carve the name of every boy I go out with into his shop. That if I did that, then the whole place would be covered in no time. I got kinda pissed about it and told him to go to hell. Now, I love Stan and all, but at that moment I was just so pissed off at him. After reassuring me that he was already getting his mail forwarded there in anticipation of his arrival, he asked me why I was so upset. T-That's when I told him that it was your name... That I had carved both of our names into it because I wanted something to look at every day that could remind me to keep hoping that we could be together someday. He came and put his big 'ol arm around me and said that he was proud of me for finally admitting my feelings to myself. He also said that he was rooting for me. I swear the dude thinks I'm his daughter or something..." she said with a laugh. "He really does care about you... I wouldn't say that your assessment of the relationship is that far off..." Dipper commented before planting a kiss on his wife's lips. Both Dipper and Wendy broke the kiss and realized how much of a third wheel they must have made Jamie feel like. Almost as if she could read their minds, she broke the somewhat awkward silence that had filled the set. "You guys are so cute! The more I learn about you, the more I wish I had your life Wendy..." the actress said wistfully. Sure, the twenty-three year old enjoyed her life of fame, but deep down inside she wasn't happy. The long hours, the time she spent away from home and the lack of a social life had all become a drain on her. The more time she spent around the married couple, the more she saw what life could be like away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. "Trust me... For every moment like this, there's two that you don't see..." she replied. "What do you mean by that?" a curious Jamie responded. "Well... I think it's no secret that I've struggled with my mental health since my teens... In fact, I just had one of those moments this morning..." she informed both the actress and her husband. While Dipper had an inkling that she had danced with her demons once again, hearing his wife confirm it caused him to become concerned. "Wendy... I-I'm sorry to hear that..." Jamie said in a soft tone. "Don't be... I-It's just one of those things I have to live with. I've learned how to shut it down and retake control when it happens. I-I have a lot to live for..." Wendy stated as a smile came across her freckled face.

After touring the rest of the set, it was finally time for Dipper and Wendy to meet the cast. "Dip... I'm low key nervous right now... I-I mean, what if I get one of those feelings again?" the ginger woman quietly said to her husband while Jamie walked a few paces ahead. "Well, I did wonder to myself if being around all this and seeing people who look like them would trigger that... But no matter what, I promise I'll be right here for you" the chestnut haired man replied as the pair walked hand-in-hand. "I never had a doubt about that..." Wendy said as they approached the large white tent that contained the cast. "They're so excited to meet you!" Jamie announced as she opened the door to the temporary structure. "Guys! They're here!" she proclaimed as Wendy grasped the hand of her lover just a little tighter. "So... You guys are the real Dipper and Wendy, huh?" a brunette teen asked as she got up from her seat and took in the sight of them. She was adorned in a pair of magenta capris and a bright pink hoodie emblazoned with a shooting star, just as Mabel had been on that fateful day. She was soon joined by a blonde girl who sported designer jeans, a white t-shirt and a purple jacket. Had their voices not been different, both Dipper and Wendy could have been convinced that they had indeed stepped back in time. In the corner of the room sat a man in a black hoodie who was on his phone. The auburn haired woman tensed up as she caught the sight of the man who portrayed Robbie Valentino. The man who had destroyed so many lives on that horrible early summer day. Dipper sensed that his wife was becoming a bit angered and knew he had to say something to break up the silence. "Y-Yeah... It's us! So... Did you guys have any questions? Anything that we could help point out? Mannerisms?" the thirty-three year old asked in an effort to make the situation less awkward. "OHMYGOD YAASS!" the actress portraying Mabel exclaimed with a sigh. "I have had such a hard time trying to figure out what they mean by quirky in the script..." she continued. "Okay... Well, my sister was certainly a unique individual. She was into arts and crafts big time... She was one of the most positive people I have ever met. Sure, things got her down from time to time, but she quickly bounced back from it. Not only that, but her attitude was downright contagious. She could be annoying at times... But she was always genuine. She never tried to be anything she wasn't" Dipper informed the actress. "Y-Yeah... Some would say she was a bit strange, but I loved that she let her freak flag fly... I-I know this is gonna sound horrible... B-But I was jealous of her in a way. I had to be this calm and cool person, but deep down inside I was stressed to the max... I wish I could have been confident enough to be my unabashed self like she always was" Wendy revealed. Dipper was proud of the fact that his wife was being this open with complete strangers.

The actress dressed as Pacifica was next to address the couple. "So... Pacifica was this spoiled brat who had a horrible attitude until she met you guys, right?" she asked with a voice that contained a bit of a country twang to it. Dipper tried his best not to laugh at the idea of his former girlfriend with that accent, although a huge smirk formed on his face. "Y-Yeah! I don't think she was really like that though. She was just a product of her upbringing. Before meeting us, she was shielded from the real world by the one that her parents had crafted for her. She simply didn't know any better. I first saw signs of her true self on a car ride back from a midnight mini golf battle between her and Mabel. She didn't even know what sharing was for crying out loud! Later on, we attended a party at her mansion. She realized how bad her family truly had been over the years and was disgusted by some of their acts. She was going to resign herself to the same fate before I reminded her that she could break the cycle. That she was young and could be whoever she wanted to be in life. That I saw someone good hiding just behind the facade she had managed to fool everyone else with. I-It was the night that I think I first caught feelings for her..." the brown haired man explained. He looked over to his wife, who he half expected to be a bit angered by the reminder that his heart had first belonged to another woman. Although they had discussed the topic early and often in their relationship, he had always wondered if she was alright with it. Sure, she had told him that she was, but he didn't know whether that was just another front put up by her. To his surprise, he saw an adoring look on her freckled face; one that was a mixture of pride in him and sadness for what he had lost. The look was also shared by Jamie and the other female cast members. Wendy often thought of just how lucky she was to fall in love with such a caring man. That while she had chased the stereotypical bad boys in her teens, what she really wanted was someone like him. It didn't matter that the women she currently counted in her company were richer or more beautiful, because right now she knew that she had something that they couldn't have; the one and only Mason Pines as her husband.

The actor playing the role of Robbie stood up from his table and joined the rest of his cast-mates. "Wendy really hates his guts, doesn't she?" he uttered as he pulled down his hood. The haircut was spot on and even his body language mirrored that of the moody teen boy. A chill went up the redhead's spine as she heard his voice. While it had a hint of a British accent to it, the cadence and tone matched that of the late man to an eerie extent. "Let's just say that if I didn't know you were just an actor, I'd already have spun you head around one hundred and eighty degrees and shoved it up your ass" she muttered. "Well... I'd just like to say that I for one am sorry for your loss... I couldn't imagine what it would be like to see someone that you were with doing such horrid things" he commented. While he was trying to diffuse the situation and prove that he was a separate person from the character, he had instead just dumped gasoline onto what had been a smoldering fire inside her. " **I WASN'T WITH HIM! THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE! TO TELL YOU WHAT REALLY HAPPENED!** " she exploded; stunned looks coming over the actors and actresses. "That's right! We're here because the script is all wrong. I mean, I read it and they said that I ran right towards the gunfire... I hid in an alleyway until it stopped because I didn't want to get hit. I-I didn't even know what was going on, where as in the script, they made it seem like I knew that Mabel, Pacifica, Wendy and Robbie were all there. I had no idea. I was just going to see if the girls were at the mall since they weren't answering my texts" he added; trying to prove his wife's point and get her to calm down a bit. "So, you weren't some sort of brave hero who tried to save Pacifica?" a brown haired teen asked. Dressed in a pair of worn blue jeans, a grey t-shirt and a red flannel shirt, he knew that this was the actor depicting him in the film. "No... Not at all. Like I said, I didn't even know she was there. I was seeing what was going on when I caught her jacket lying on the ground out of the corner of my eye. It seems like they wrote me as some sort of badass, but I was a dork. Trust me... Wendy, Mabel and even Pacifica called me that... In a loving way, but still..." he told the actor. Wendy smiled as her husband swallowed a bit of his pride and admitted that he was a nerd. While far from a secret, he was still defensive about being called one.

The rest of the afternoon was spent fielding questions from the cast, as they tried to get the film as accurate as possible. While Wendy really wanted them to cancel the movie outright, she realized that it would be selfish seeing as hundreds of people would be out of a job. Instead, she settled to make it the most authentic retelling of the worst day of her life. The day that forever changed a town and the people within it. Next up was a conference with the writers, who went over everything from wardrobes and scenery to dialogue. One thing that had bothered Wendy and Dipper more than anything as they scanned the script was how proper everyone talked. They were in their teens at the time and spoke like it. Wendy also had a huge issue with how out of character Dipper was written. After debating with them for a few hours, Wendy and Dipper were satisfied with the direction the film was now heading in. They scheduled regular meetings in order to keep up with everything and make sure that it was still heading in the right direction. "I-I just wanna say that when I first found out that they were making a movie about the worst day of our lives, I was livid. I thought you were all just a bunch of soul-sucking vultures, who were hellbent on making a buck off of our suffering. Now, I see that you guys are only trying to do your jobs and I have to say that after the changes we made, I have no doubt that you'll all do great. We'll keep in touch and if you have any questions in the meantime, you have our numbers..." Wendy said as she waved goodbye to the small crowd before her. The couple walked hand-in-hand out of the movie lot and back onto the streets of Vancouver, where night had fallen on the metropolis. "You okay?" Dipper asked his wife as they strolled down the concrete sidewalk. "Yeah... I mean, today was a tough day, but I needed to confront some of that. I'd been trying to forget it for a while now and this made me realize that it's never going to fully go away. That while time, like, passes and junk... It'll be always be a part of who we are... And for the first time in a while, I'm okay with that..." the redhead said as that easy smile Dipper loved resided on her face once more. "I'm glad to hear that..." he replied. "How about you? I know you didn't really let on back there, but I know that it wasn't easy for you either..." Wendy commented. "It wasn't... Especially when I first saw the girls playing Mabel and Pacifica. I-I wanted them to be real in the worst way... I fought the urge to run up to them and hug 'em" the usually reserved man admitted as his hazel eyes filled with tears. "Dude, I get it... Because I wanted to do the same exact thing" his wife agreed. The rest of the walk home was in silence, as the two took in what had transpired over the long weekend. While they had started out by wanting to take a break from Gravity Falls and all that reminded them of it, they had never felt closer.

 **Author's Note:  
** Sorry about how long it took to post a new chapter, but a lot has gone on in the last little bit. Funny how life works like that. My vacation was much needed and kinda cleared my head a bit. Sadly, I didn't find the statue of Bill Cipher, but the woods of Oregon are every bit as wonderful as Gravity Falls made them out to be. I had this chapter done about twice and didn't really like it, so I deleted the whole thing and started over. I was originally going to go with how the Mystery Crew was dealing in the hospital, but I felt like I needed to end Wendy and Dipper's trip to Vancouver first. They were only there for three days, but it was starting to feel like three months to me. The supernatural elements are about to ramp up here in the next few chapters, so stay tuned for that. I saw a few more pieces of fan art as well and I really enjoyed it. As always, feel free to leave a review! Well, until next time - iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Muse – "Thought Contagion"

Lorde – "Team"

Young The Giant – "Something To Believe In"

Grimes – "Flesh Without Blood"

Muse - "Supermassive Black Hole"

The Driver Era - "Preacher Man"

Corey Taylor / Dave Grohl - "From Can To Can't"

Audien + 3LAU / Victoria Zaro - "Hot Water"

Marshmello & Anne-Marie - "FRIENDS"

Arty / April Bender - "Sunrise"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

A Shooting Star Falls

Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	12. Chapter 12

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Twelve: The Catalyst**

Opening a door that led to the basement, a shadowy figure flipped on a light switch and made his way down a long set of creaking wooden steps. The gentle whooshing of computer fans and soft clacks from a keyboard echoed off the concrete walls of the subterranean room. Seated at a console, Dr. Jennifer McGucket was hard at work on what had become the crowning achievement of her still young career as a scientist. After the unexpected passing of her father Tate, the young woman had been taken in by her grandfather Fiddleford and soon followed in the slightly eccentric man's footsteps. After graduating early from the world-famous Washington Institute for Technology, she returned to Gravity Falls as an apprentice for her Grandfather and his friend Stanford Pines. Although she was gifted, the young woman was drowning in debt and feared that she may have to delay her research to remedy her financial situation. Just as she had resigned herself to her fate, a representative for an unnamed Senator contacted her about an important project.

"I should have known that those gatdanged gnomes would let me down..." The Senator grumbled to himself as he descended the final few steps; a glass of whiskey in his hand. "Like Daddy said... Always have a plan B" he continued before taking a sip of the bitter liquor. He placed his glass down on the console of Dr. McGucket as he walked past it; soon finding himself standing between a pair of glowing green tubes. The glass enclosed structure to his right held a boy who looked to be ten years of age and sported a head topped with white hair. To his left in the other chamber was a teenage girl; a long ivory mane cascading down her bare back. "I'm so terribly sorry that I have to wake you before I can make this world perfect enough for you, but desperate times call for desperate measures" the suit clad man said as he placed his palms onto the glass that held the children. "Dr. McGucket, how long do we have until full animation is achieved?" the Senator inquired as he made his way over to the console. "About another hour or so, sir" she replied as her fingers continued to furiously peck away at the keyboard in front of her. "Wonderful!" the somewhat portly man exclaimed.

"Let me know when the moment is near, I want to be here when they wake up..." the elected official requested; picking up his glass of whiskey and taking another sip of it. "Of course, sir" she dutifully replied as the man made his way back up the stairs to attend a teleconference with his fellow lawmakers. "I really wish he would have given me more time to re-calibrate the simulation..."the young woman grumbled as she lifted her fingers from the keyboard and stretched her arms over her head. She had written a program that would allow the children to live a seemingly average life and be none the wiser that they had been clones of their father. Now, she had to figure out a way to have them exit the simulation and transition to reality as seamlessly as possible. Having only been cloned three years ago, the program ran at accelerated pace to keep up with their growth. The children lived in a virtual version of Eagle Creek, a town about thirty miles to the west of Gravity Falls, so the move would be believable to the kids. Taking a sip from a Big-Chugg cup containing a mixture of vodka and Pitt Cola, she once again placed her fingers to the keys to make her boss' dream a reality.

Meanwhile, Candy and Grenda had arrived at Gravity Falls Regional Medical Center to check on their daughter's condition. While Tambry had explained the situation to the best of her abilities, there were still a few questions that they wanted answers to. Walking through the automated front doors, the couple noticed the group of teenagers that occupied the waiting room of the emergency department. "Hey guys!" Grenda greeted the group in her trademark deep tone of voice. "Hey Mrs. Grenderson-Chiu!" Mabel cheerily replied as she stood up from the floor where she had been playing a board game with Alessandra and Pacifica. "So, any idea what happened to Grendy?" the somewhat concerned mother inquired. "Well, to be honest, I kinda woke up halfway through it... All I know is that Courtney tried to wake up Grendy and ended up getting headbutted in the chin..." the ginger girl replied. "There was a ton of blood! On their clothes... All over the tent... It looked like a scene out of some horror flick..." Pacifica chimed in with a bit too much glee in her voice. "Candy will fall down now..." the Korean-American woman said as she began to sway back and forth; her already pale skin losing whatever tone it had. "Can-Can!" Grenda exclaimed before helping to guide her to a chair. "W-What happened?!" a concerned Pacifica asked as she looked over at the woozy woman. "It's totally not your fault, because you didn't know, but Candy doesn't like blood at all... The very mention of it is enough for her to get like this..." the tall and muscular woman informed the brunette teenager. "Dude, I am _so_ sorry..." Pacifica apologized. "It is okay... You did not know..." Candy reassured her as she began to recover.

A few moments later, Tambry exited from the Emergency Department, hand in hand with the injured teen girls. "Grendy!" Grenda and Candy said in unison as they rushed towards the lanky brunette. "What happened?!"the booming voice of Grenda inquired. "Let's take a walk and I'll tell you guys all about it..." the young woman said as she hugged both of her parents. "I'm glad you're okay..." Pacifica said to her former bully as she pulled her in for a hug. "Well, I wouldn't call these seven stitches ' _okay_ ', but we'll just agree to disagree on that..." Courtney said as she reciprocated the kind gesture of her cousin. "By the way, I like that streak you put in your hair... It's kinda different..." the ginger girl commented; a look of pure confusion forming on Pacifica's face as she wondered what her relative had meant. "What streak?! I don't have any streaks in my hair!" the brunette teen said with panic. "Yeah, you totally do... Either that or you really need to manage your stress better, cuz..." the ginger girl retorted. "I-I'll be right back..." Pacifica said as hastily she made her way to the bathroom. " _Pfft_... She's just screwing with me... I'd know if I had a streak in my hair... _Unless_... **Nah!** Mabel would never do something to my hair without asking me first... Or would she?!" the fifteen-year-old thought aloud as she opened the door to the restroom and walked towards the large mirror that hung above three porcelain sinks. " _What the fuck?_ " the brunette whispered in disbelief as she spied the silver tuft of hair her cousin had noticed. "I swear to God, if Mabes did this to me..." she began to say before catching a better look at it. "You know... It actually doesn't look half bad. Maybe I _can_ rock this..." she said as an air of confidence came over her.

"So... I have a question for the both of you..." Grendy began with trepidation seeping from her voice; a nervous sweat forming on her brow. "Sure!" Grenda cheerily replied as she turned to face her daughter. "So... I-I'm, like, seeing someone now..." the tall teenager stumbled over her words; afraid of how her parents would react. "Really?! Who?!" Candy excitedly inquired. "Well... I-It's Courtney... Courtney Corduroy!" Grendy blurted out as she felt the immense pressure leave her soul. "For real?! You used to not care for her... Didn't you?" a confused Candy asked. "Y-Yeah... But ever since the whole ballfield incident she's been a completely different person. S-She's not so bad when she's not being mean... I-I had this huge crush on her and almost asked her out to Spring Formal... B-But there was something else going on too..." the young woman explained before taking a deep breath. "Mateo?" Grenda asked. "Y-Yeah! How'd you know?!" the fifteen-year-old asked in a perplexed tone. "Let's just say that it's a mother's intuition" the thirty-two year old woman replied. "That and the wayward look you get in your eyes whenever he's near..." Candy added as a somewhat annoyed look came over her partner's face. "Well, I-I ended up kissing Courtney the first day we were there and while I had a bit of crush on her before... I still had one on Mateo as well... Luckily, Courtney was cool enough to cook up a plan with me so that we could get Mateo away from Lucas for a minute. It worked and I kissed him too! I-I really liked it, but not any more than when I kissed Courtney. Now I'm going out with both of them and I'm so confused!" Grendy said as she clutched her head in frustration. "I could see why..." Grenda replied to her daughter. "Perhaps you could go on separate dates with them and see who you like best" Candy suggested. "Y-Yeah... I was just so afraid of losing them both that I kinda rushed into the agreement we have. Maybe I just need to take a step back and go about this in a more logical way..." the slender fifteen-year-old agreed.

Pacifica had rejoined her friends as Tambry checked Courtney out of the hospital. "Lovin' the hair, sis!" Mabel said as she shot her twin a thumbs up. "Yeah! It's really pretty!" Alessandra agreed. "Thank you!" the brunette thanked them. The remaining teens loaded up into Tambry's minivan and headed back towards the Mystery Shack, where they would be reunited with their parents. "Everybody have a good trip?" The violet haired woman behind the wheel asked as she looked into the rear-view mirror. "Yeah! I got to see lots of cool animals!" Alessandra shouted from the second row. "I got some good fishing in with my best bud!" Mateo replied. "Yeah... It was nice to just take a break from everything..." Pacifica noted; keeping the fact that she had practiced casting spells to herself. "I got to use some of the first aid skills Grandpa Dan taught me, so that was pretty neat!" Mabel chimed in. Wendy and Dipper waited patiently in the parking lot of the Mystery Shack as they awaited the return of their girls. "So... Just how are we going to tell them that we're the focus of a major motion picture?" the brown-haired man asked his wife. "Just the way you told me right now..." Wendy suggested. He didn't have much time to mull it over as the familiar vehicle pulled into the dusty dirt parking lot of the tourist attraction. The sliding door opened and soon the teens jumped out akin to skydivers leaping from a plane. "Mom! Dad!" Mabel and Pacifica shouted in unison as they rushed up to their parents. "Hey dudes! I take it you guys had a fun time!" the ginger woman inquired. The girls both nodded that indeed they had. "Look... Your mother and I have something important to tell you guys when we get home..." Dipper said as he looked his children in the eye. "You guys aren't having another kid, are you?" Pacifica asked with trepidation. "Wh-What?! No! No, we're not sweetheart..." Wendy replied with a bit of shock. "We'll tell you when we get back to the house... But it's good news..." Dipper stated; his wife shooting him a bit of an angered look. He immediately knew that she took his statement of it being good news to mean that the news of another addition to the family was implied to be bad news. "N-Not that having another child would be a bad thing... T-That's just not what we have to tell you about..." he quickly clarified, which seemed to be much more acceptable to his alabaster skinned partner. "Well whatever it is, I'm excited!" Mabel added. Courtney's parents would be out of town until the end of the week, so she would be spending some more time with her cousins. She couldn't wait to discuss her new relationship with the twins.

A long buzz came from the metal console that Dr. Jennifer McGucket was seated at and she knew the moment of truth was at hand. Picking up her phone, she quickly found the Senator's contact and pressed it. After ringing a few times, it was finally answered. "Yes" he curtly replied into the phone. "It's time..." the blonde scientist informed the government official. "Excellent. I am on the way" the man said before ending the call abruptly. "Currently we're on pace to extend the surplus this fiscal quarter. We've drafted a new resolution with Canada that will see our trade tariffs decrease at an annual perce-" an older man in a dark suit spoke from a monitor at the far end of the oak table. "Gentlemen, I'm terribly sorry, but I've just been informed of a serious matter involving my family... If you'll excuse me, please..." the portly man informed his constituents. "Of course, Senator..." the speaker replied with a bit of concern in his voice. The Senator ended the teleconference and exited the room. Standing just outside the doorframe was his trusty aide Amber, who was once again dressed in a black pencil skirt, a white button up blouse with a skinny black tie and a black blazer. "Amber, plan two is now in effect. Make sure the accommodations are ready for our new guest's arrival" he instructed the tall blonde woman. "Yes sir!" She dutifully replied as she rushed off to complete her newly assigned task. "Why can't I find more good help like her?" he pondered to himself as he opened the door to the basement and descended the wooden stairs once again.

The green water-like substance had drained from the tubes and the glass enclosures had retracted into the ceiling. Still not conscious, the pair of children were supported by a metal brace that had come out of the floor. After wiping the residual fluid off their bodies, Jennifer walked to a closet and removed two carefully selected outfits for the children. The boy was to be dressed in a pair of sky blue dress slacks, a white button up shirt with a black tie and a matching blazer. The teenage girl's ensemble included knee-high white socks, a sky blue pleated skirt, a white button up blouse with a black tie and a sky-blue vest. The footsteps of the legislator approached and Jennifer rushed to put the finishing touches on the children. Unplugging the chord from the base of their skulls, the two began to stir as their father took in the sight before him. Letting out a long yawn and raising her arms above her head, the teenage girl was first to speak. "Hey Daddy! I must have passed out on the ride over..." she said as her hand rubbed her eyes. "Yeah! You and your brother both fell asleep" he reassured the somewhat confused girl. The boy soon exited his world of slumber and opened his eyes abruptly. "Whoah! Where are we?!" he asked with concern as he took note of the machines and computers that filled the basement. "You're downstairs in the new house..." the Senator informed him; hoping the smaller version of him wouldn't think too much about it. "Uh... Okay... So, why are we down here?" the girl wondered aloud. "Well... Uh... You see..." he stuttered as he searched for an answer to the inquiry. "We were moving boxes upstairs and wanted to keep an eye on you two..." Jennifer quickly replied. "Oh! Do you need any more help mother?" the boy asked. " _ **MOTHER?!**_ " the Senator internally shouted with disbelief. This had not been a part of the agreement he had made with the younger scientist and wanted to know the meaning of it immediately. "Jennifer... A word please!" the man said as he adjusted his tie and motioned for her to join him out of earshot of the children. She got up from the console and hesitantly walked over to the man, who she could tell was irate. "Mother?! Just what the hell is going on here?!" he growled at her. "L-Look, I can explain!" she stuttered. Although the man stood just over five feet tall, he had the mindset of a giant and the anger to match. "Then you best start 'splainin..." the suit clad man barked at her; his folksy southern accent slipping out as he did so.

Dr. Jennifer McGucket knew that this day would come and had rehearsed it in her head countless times, but now she simply drew a blank. Perhaps it was because she was intimidated by the demanding man. Perhaps it was because despite all his verbal abusiveness to her over the past few years, that she had just wanted to have her work verified. Perhaps it was because as time dragged on for the blonde woman, she had begun to have feelings for the slightly older man who had salvaged her dreams. Whatever it was, her confidence drained away and she was left a stuttering mess of a person. "Well, Gide-" she began before being cut off by the now enraged man. " **I TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME THAT! MY GOD WOMAN! CAN'T YOU EVEN GET THAT RIGHT?!** " the shorter man exploded; tears forming in the eyes of the scientist. "S-Sorry Senator! Y-You're right! I-I wasn't thinking... As for why your son called me 'Mother', well... That was j-just because I put myself into the simulation as a placeholder until I could get more input from you. After a while, I honestly forgot about it..." the blonde twentysomething fibbed. "Be that as it may, I now have to figure out a way to explain the sudden appearance of my two children..." the suit clad Senator commented as he began to pace back and forth on the concrete floor. "I'll work on the explanation. All you have to do is sell whatever lie I come up with... Which shouldn't be too hard, seeing as you're a politician and all..." Dr. McGucket replied; a sly smile forming on her face. "Well... Alright. But you better not let me down. I don't tolerate failure" the white-haired man stated. "Don't worry. I don't tolerate failure either..." Jennifer proclaimed; this time a smirk forming on the face of the legislator. "Come now, children. I want to show you your new rooms!" the suit clad man said as the trio began to ascend the stairs. Jennifer picked up her phone once again and placed a call. "Stanford, it's Jenny. I-I need a favor..." she began the call in the basement of the Senator's home.

The short drive back to the Pines house was a bit of a quiet one, as the teenage girls in the back of the sport utility vehicle had fallen asleep. "Must have been a tough weekend for them, huh?" the ginger woman commented as her husband turned into their driveway. "Well, it wasn't exactly the easiest for us when you think about it..." the brown-haired man replied. "Yeah, but it was fun at times. I still can't believe how much we drank that first night!" Wendy said with a chuckle. "Well, it was nice of Jamie to fund our wild night out on the town..." Dipper said. "I still feel bad about that..." the auburn maned woman said with a bit of a sullen tone. "Hey, she forgave you for that... I wouldn't feel too rough about it. I mean, it's like she said... She spends more than that on makeup every week..." the thirty-three year old reminded her. "Yeah..." Wendy replied. After waking the girls from their slumber, they each grabbed a piece of luggage and carried it to the modest two-story home nestled in the forest. As Mabel, Pacifica and Courtney brought their bags upstairs, a thought came over Mabel. "So... W-What if we're moving? What if Mom and Dad liked Vancouver so much that they decided to leave Gravity Falls? I-I like it here..."the ginger teen said as she opened the door to her bedroom. Pacifica placed a caring hand on her twin's shoulder, causing her to turn around. "Mabes... Mom and Dad are tied to this town. The literally almost died to save it. I don't think they'd just up and leave it like that" the brunette tried to reassure the emotional girl. "Y-Yeah. I guess you're right, sis. Maybe they just brought something cool back!" she replied; her perky demeanor returning.

Downstairs, Dipper and Wendy debated how to break the news that the worst day of their lives was being turned into a movie to their daughters. Daughters that were named in honor of the loved ones they had lost that early June day nearly two decades ago. "Relax... They'll probably think it's neat..." the chestnut-haired man commented to his wife as he removed a brown glass bottle from the fridge. "That's the thing. I don't want them to think that it's ' _neat_ '. I don't want them to know what we went through in the days and weeks after it. H-How I tried to drown myself in booze and how you became a recluse" she replied before taking a bite of her granola bar; crumbs landing on the dark hardwood floor below. "Look... They're at that age where they're going to be asking a bunch of questions about that. We can't just gloss over it like we've done. Yeah, they know their aunts died in a botched bank heist and that their mother was an officer that responded, but they don't know all the details... Best that we tell them before they see it in the movie" Dipper pointed out as he twisted off the cap on his beer and took a long swig of it. "Y-You're right, Dip. I-I guess that they should hear it all from us. Even the ugly parts. The parts we've tried to hide from them. H-How you have to take an anti-anxiety medication because of how badly Weirdmageddon fucked you up in the head. H-How, even before Mabel and Pacifica died I was hurting myself to deal with my mental issues" the freckled woman said as she walked over to her lover and wrapped him up in a loose hug. "Hey... I love you" Dipper said as he pecked the rosy cheek of his wife. "I love you too..." she replied; her eyes full of tears and her mind full of trepidation as she tried to prepare herself for what was about to happen.

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry the update took so long, but my computer died on me, so I had to rewrite this chapter. The good news is that I have a new laptop, but it didn't come with a word processor installed on it, so I'm trying the whole Word Online thing. I apologize if the format is a little different than you are used to. So, a lot to unpack here in this chapter. The Senator is who most of you probably thought he was and now you know his motivation for possessing the spellbook that Pacifica has. Just what did he have in mind when it came to his cloned children being raised? Why was he so upset that they think of Jennifer as their mother? What will be the next step in Grendy's relationship with Mateo and Courtney? How will the Pines Girls react to hearing the grizzly details of what happened on June 3rd? And speaking of the Pines Twins, how exactly did Pacifica get that silver streak in her hair? Answers to all these questions and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. Until then - iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Linkin Park - "The Catalyst" (The song that inspired the name of this chapter)

The Wombats - "Turn"

Sir Sly - "&Run"

Jukebox The Ghost - "Everybody's Lonely"

Linkin Park - "Shadow Of The Day"

Jimmy Eat World - "Praise Chorus"

Panic! At The Disco - "Say Amen (Saturday Night)"

Bullet For My Valentine - "Over It"

Sixx:A.M. - "Life Is Beautiful"

Korn - "Let The Guilt Go"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

 **P1). Underage Discoveries** **On** **A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel**

 **1). A Shooting Star Falls**

 **2). Echoes** **Of** **A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **4). The Dark Days** **Of** **Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **8). Birthday Weirdness** **In** **The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **9). The Gift** **Of** **Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **10). Life** **In** **Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **12). Tales** **Of** **The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**


	13. Chapter 13

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Thirteen:** **Doubt**

"Mabel! Pacifica! Courtney!" Wendy shouted up the flight of stairs that led to the second floor of the Pines home. "Yes Mom!" her auburn locked daughter Mabel replied. "Can you guys come down here?!" the mother of two asked. "Yeah! Be right down!" Pacifica responded. "Look… Whatever this is… We're in it together. Got it?" the brunette reassured her twin. "Yup! I've got your back from the womb to the tomb!" the ginger girl agreed as the trio of teens headed downstairs. Wendy and Dipper sat on the dark leather sofa in the living room; the chestnut haired man clutching a scrapbook that the girls had never seen before. "So… What's this all about?" Pacifica asked as she plopped down on the couch; her sister and cousin following suit. "Okay. S-So remember that time we went to visit Aunt Mabel and Aunt Pacifica?" Wendy began as her voice trembled with trepidation. "Mom, we go to see them all the time. You're gonna have to be more specific…" Mabel replied as she swept back a piece of her copper colored hair. "Well… I-It was the first time that we went to see them and I told you dudes how they passed…" the alabaster skinned mother clarified as she reached for a glass of clear liquid on the table in front of her. As hard as this subject was going to be to talk about, she had wished that it was a glass full of something a bit more intoxicating than water. "Oh… Yeah. We, like, know all about that… How Aunt Mabel and Aunt Pacifica went to the bank to get some money for a trip to the mall and they got caught up in that robbery" Mabel began with a questioning look on her slender face before continuing with her thought. "H-How you were the only cop in town that day and responded… T-That the guy holding up the bank shot you and killed them both… Yeah, we know…" she concluded.

Wendy turned to Dipper and grasped her husband's hand as she prepared to tell them about the movie. "Well… We were in Vancouver… And, this is super funny; I kept getting mistaken for an actress… Like, a ton of times. It honestly got a bit annoying…" she began as all three girls stared at her with a look of disbelief. "Yeah, and I'm Queen Meghan…" Courtney replied. "I-It's true! Let her explain" Dipper interjected in defense of his wife. "Turns out that the reason I kept getting mistaken for the actress was because she's going to be playing the role of none other than Officer Gwendolyn Corduroy in an upcoming feature film" the freckled woman continued. A skeptical look came over the face of Pacifica, as she thought it may be some sort of joke that had fallen completely flat. "So… Let me get this straight. They're making a movie about you? I-Is that right?" Mabel inquired as she leaned in a bit. "Y-Yeah…" was all that the thirty-six year old reply with; the thought of her being portrayed by an A-List actress in a major motion picture sounded outlandish even to her. And she had been on the set! "It's about the life of Aunt Pacifica mostly… But yeah, your mom is a character in it. T-The part where the robbery takes place" Dipper added. He could tell that his wife needed a little help in delivering the news and tried as best as he could to assist her without completely taking over the conversation.

All three teenage girls sat on the leather sofa in a stunned silence. They still thought it may be some sort of elaborate prank and that any second Justin Kerprank would jump out from behind a potted plant despite there not being one in the house. "Huh… So, you guys aren't screwing with us?" Courtney spoke up. "No. Not at all" Dipper reassured his niece in a calm and firm tone. "Then who is playing you guys?" a still unsure Pacifica asked. "Y-Your mother is being played by Jamie LeCroix..." he began. "No way! Shut up!" Mabel shouted before covering up her mouth with both of her hands; aware that telling her father to shut up might not have been the most respectful thing to say. "Yup… Here's a photo of us standing next to each other…" Wendy said as she pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture of the two redheads standing side by side; large smiles plastered on their faces. Wendy was decked out in her classic look of flannel and jeans, while Jamie was wearing the uniform of the Gravity Falls Police Department. "That's so cool!" Courtney exclaimed. "Tell me about it…" her Aunt replied. "What about you Dad?" Pacifica inquired. "Well, the guy who plays me is Ritter North… The actor fro-" Dipper began before a loud squeal filled the room. "It Wasn't Me! I _**LOVE**_ that show!" Courtney erupted. "Well, if you ask me, he's a little too handsome to be playing you at that age… Sorry, not sorry… But you were, like, a total geek… A cute geek, but a geek nonetheless…" Wendy said as she watched the expression on her husband's face change to one of anger for a fleeting second before a smirk formed on it. "Oh yeah! Well, if I was a geek, then you were a freak when you were in high school!" Dipper shot back. " **ME?!** Okay... Sure thing buddy…" the ginger woman replied with sarcasm dripping heavily from her voice. "I mean, you guys hung out in Nate's garage and tried to form a band… You went through that whole phase where you thought you were some rebellious badass because you wore your grandpa's army jacket from Korea and smoked some wee-" he began to explain before his wife cut him off. " **MASON!** " she shouted as the three teens took in the lighthearted argument forming in front of them. "Sorry…" the thirty-three year old man sheepishly apologized. "Anyway… Your Aunt Mabel is played by Oliva Colt and your Aunt Pacifica is played by Dove Hosterman" the redhead continued as she tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Okay… So… They're making a movie about Aunt Pacifica's life… That's pretty cool…" Mabel said as she started to get up from the sofa. "That's not all…" Wendy said in a sullen tone. A look of confusion formed on the face of her daughter and she sat back down. "I wanted to tell you guys something… I wanted to say that you're gonna hear some bad things about me… And some of them are true" the ginger woman continued as tears formed in her eyes. "Like what, mom?" Mabel asked; a look of concern forming on her face. "I did everything I could to save them… B-But at the time, I didn't think that. I felt so damn guilty that they died… It replayed over and over in my mind. I-I couldn't take it… I-I… I tried to blow my brains out the night it happened… I took my gun… A-And I tried to end it all… I just wanted it all to go away, man…" the now openly weeping woman admitted. "Whoah… Mom… I-I'm so sorry…" Pacifica said as she scooched closer on the couch and wrapped her arms around her t-shirt clad mother. Courtney looked on in shock as she had just witnessed her aunt admitting to the fact that she had become suicidal after losing her dear friends that day. She always saw her Aunt Wendy as a chill woman who didn't let anything rattle her. The teen's allusion of who the ginger woman was had been completely shattered in an instant. "A-And I just completely shut out the world for the better part of a few weeks… About the only time I left my bedroom was to use the restroom…" Dipper added as he tried to give his wife a chance to calm down.

"You guys know the next part… Where I decided it was a good idea to get drunk off my ass and slash my arm…" Wendy said with hesitation as she rubbed her tattoo covered scar. This was once again news to Courtney, who had always assumed it was from some sort of accident. "Mom… I-I know that it took a lot of courage to tell us about that. I don't think any less of you… I mean, I couldn't imagine what it must have been like" Mabel said as she looked into the emerald colored eyes of her mother. "Y-Yeah… You went through a lot of stuff that nobody has had to deal with… I'm not sure if I could have done any better than you did back then…" Pacifica agreed with her twin as they continued to hug their mom. "A-Aunt Wendy?" Courtney asked with trepidation. "Yes, honey…" the thirty-six year old replied to her niece. "M-My Dad said that you and Pacifica were 'frenemies'… I-Is that true?" the redheaded teen girl inquired. The mother of two mulled the question over for a moment before busting out in laughter. "Dude… Yeah! We totally were! The funny thing is that it didn't even have anything to do with the fact that we both had a crush on your Uncle either! You see, the Northwests and the Corduroys had a feud that went back over one hundred and fifty years. My Great, Great, Grandfather Archibald Corduroy and his team of lumberjacks were hired to build Northwest Manor. It was agreed upon that following the completion of the job that there would be a celebration for the whole town to recognize the hard work and sacrifice of the workers. Needless to say, the Northwest family reneged on their promise and shut out the lumberjacks. Due to the deforestation caused by the construction, a great mudslide ravaged the town and killed a good number of people, including my ancestor" the auburn haired woman explained as the girls looked on with amazement. Dipper knew the whole tale by heart and had even confronted the spirit of Archibald Corduroy on a fateful night back in the summer of 2012. "So, anyway, Pacifica started working at the Mystery Shack with me. We had a conversation where we pretty much agreed to disagree about both the fact that her family pretty much murdered my relative and the fact that we both had a crush on Dipper…" the freckled woman concluded.

"So… Baron, this will be your new room!" the Senator said as he opened the door to a bedroom; the plain white walls helping to create a sterile environment. "Thank you father!" the ten year old said in a grateful tone as he began to explore the room. Still holding hands with his fourteen year old daughter, the elected official opened a door across the hallway from Baron's room. "Daddy! I love it!" Ariel shouted as she jumped up and down. "Thank you darlin'…" the white haired man replied as he left the room and walked back down the hallway. "I take it that they like their accommodations?" Amber asked her boss. "Yeah! They loved them, actually. I-I know I don't say it nearly enough, but thank you for everything you do for me…" the somewhat portly man said in a rare moment of sincerity. "Thank you, sir!" the tall blonde woman replied; her usually reserved tone abandoned for one of joy. "Gideon… Call me Gideon from now on…" the Senator said as he stood mere inches from the sharply dressed woman who served as his chief of staff. The slightly younger Amber leaned in and soon the two began to kiss. A red hot passion filled the two as they abandoned their previously professional relationship. After a moment, Gideon broke the lip lock and stepped back a few paces. "A-Amber… I-I had no idea…" he stuttered as the usually cold and calculating man tried to make sense of the situation. "I-I'm sorry Gideon… I-I just felt li-" she began before the lips of the legislator reconnected to hers. Amber pushed Gideon up against the wall of the narrow hallway as she gave in to her inner most desires.

Dr. Jennifer McGucket shut down her computer and unplugged the headphones that had been pumping her the EDM music she listened to while working. She wanted nothing more than to just crank the music up loud in the laboratory and lose herself in the tones and her work, but unlike her personal lab, the Gleeful residence above would likely be disturbed by such a thing. The door that led to the basement opened and she exited her subterranean workplace. The bright sunlight that filled the hallway was a stark contrast to the fluorescent lighting that illuminated her laboratory. Turning a corner, she spied a couple deep in the throes of lust; her heart sinking as she realized that it was her very own crush making out with another woman. Walking past them in a hurry, she felt the tears that had filled her sapphire eyes begin to run down her reddened cheeks. Her trembling hands struggled to turn the door knob that would lead her away from this hurt she felt; the betrayal in her heart. "W-Way to go Jen! Y-You done fucked this one up just like everything else in your fucking life…" the disheartened young woman said as she took a long sip from her cup of vodka and cola. Fishing her car keys out of her purse, the blonde scientist unlocked the two door subcompact. Taking a seat inside the car, she slumped over the steering wheel and began to weep uncontrollably. If it were up to her, Jennifer would have kept this up for the next few hours, but the sound of her phone ringing shook her from her dispair.

Removing it from her purse, she saw that it was her trusted mentor Stanford Pines returning her call from earlier. "H-Hello?" she sniffled into the speaker. "Jenny, is everything alright?" the elderly man asked in his still booming voice. "I-I finished the project I-I was working on…" the young woman replied as she once again snorted the snot back into her nose. "I know something is troubling you… What is it?" Stanford inquired; a hint of concern lacing his usually calm tone. "I-It's dumb... Just stupid woman stuff…" she dismissed. "Whatever it is has you upset… So it's far from dumb…" the mentor replied. "Okay. Well… I-I came across my boss, the Senator, making out with another woman…" she began as fresh tears filled her eyes on a muggy afternoon; the warmth of her breath beginning to steam up the windows of the tiny automobile. "I see… And I take it that you had feelings for him?" the man of science asked. "Well… Yeah. I-I've wanted to tell him how I feel for a while now, but I didn't want to have it become a distraction to the project that I'm working on" she explained. "To be fair, that is what a responsible researcher does… They put the integrity of their work above all else…" the grey haired man reassured the emotionally unstable woman. "Yeah! B-But I think that I may have waited too long… I'm a woman of science though! Logic should always trump emotion…" she commented. "Listen… I learned a long time ago from a very wise person that sometimes you have to listen to your heart, even when your mind is telling you that it's a bad idea…" Ford told her. "Look, I know you're trying to comfort me and all, but we both know that's bullshit… A real scienti-" she began before being cut off. "Listen to me! I learned that lesson way too late in life, but you're still young enough to change… You know who gave me that advice?" Stanford asked his apprentice. "No…" Jennifer sniffled. "My late niece Mabel. S-She was more intelligent than I could have ever hoped to be because she saw the grand scheme of things… That the meaning of life is to live it and not overthink things too much… A-And she didn't even need to summon an immortal interdimensional dream demon to show her that" the octogenarian pointed out in a crestfallen voice.

Jennifer mulled over the elderly man's advice as she held her phone away from her face. "Jennifer? A-Are you still there?" Stanford asked in a concerned tone. "Yeah… You know what? She really was smarter than both of us… Maybe if this works out, or even if it doesn't, I'll go thank her for it…" the blonde woman said as a smile formed on her face. "I think she'd like that…" Ford said as he ended the call. Getting out of her small car, she headed back towards the unassuming two story home. Opening the front door, she saw that Amber had already resumed her work; save for a few less buttons fastened on her blouse and slightly more messy hair than before. "Amber" the lab coat clad woman acknowledged as she walked past. "Dr. McGucket" she replied while looking down at a tablet. Seeing the door to the Senator's office cracked open, she opened it to find the white haired man adjusting his sky blue tie. "Dr. McGucket… D-Did you come up with an explanation for our predicament?" he asked; checking his appearance in a full length mirror that hung on the inside of a closet door. "I-I'm still working on that… B-But I do have to inform you of something else, sir…" she said while nervously adjusting her thick framed glasses. "Look, unless it has to do with that, I frankly don't have the ti-" he began before the blonde woman planted her lips on the shorter man. "Man alive, what has gotten into these women around here today?" the legislator asked himself as he returned the kiss. She pushed him up against the wall, knocking a framed picture off of it. Most of the staff for the Senator had gone home for the day, but being the workaholic that she was, Amber had stuck around to work on the travel itinerary for him for next month. The sound of a thud and shattering glass took her laser-focused attention away from her tablet and she soon headed towards the unusual noise. Gideon grabbed the scientist by her hips and spun her around toward his large oak desk; her lower back colliding with the edge of it. Letting out a small whimper of pain, she ignored it as the throes of passion quickly overrode it. Amber opened the door to find the Senator deep in a make out session with Jennifer.

Gideon had heard the door open and turned his head to see his chief of staff standing in the door way; mouth agape with shock as she observed what they were doing. Practically shoving Dr. McGucket off of him, he looked the sharply dressed woman in her chestnut colored eyes. "A-Amber… I-I" he stuttered as the look on her face changed to one of pure rage. "I-I should have known! Y-You're just like the rest of them! Well, guess what?! You can kiss your dreams of becoming President goodbye Mr. Gleeful! I-I'm going to tell them all what y-you've been doing with the taxpayer's money! U-Using it to clone yourself some kids t-to try and steal a damn book from some teenagers! T-That you've had some people silenced for threatening to speak out before… Y-You just made a big mistake! **I-I QUIT!** " she shouted before throwing her tablet to the ground; the electronic device shattering at her feet. " **AMBER!** Please! W-We can talk about it!" he pleaded as Jennifer wondered what she had gotten herself into. "It's too late for that! When you wake up, it'll be all over the news! I promise you that!" she shouted while storming off. The sound of the front door slamming shut confirmed that the woman had indeed left the premises. "Jennifer… I-I'm sorry about that. A-As far as what just happened… We have a lot to talk about… A-And I promise we will, but right now I need to take care of some business. B-But I think we might have just found a solution that will work out well for all involved" Gideon finished as he picked his phone off the desk. "O-Okay Sena-" she began before being cut off. "Gideon… Call me Gideon from now on… Now, if you'll excuse me…" he interrupted while shooing her out of the room.

Jennifer stood outside the office of her boss, Senator Gideon Gleeful; a thousand thoughts filling the mind of the scientist. "I wonder what he meant?" she quietly said to herself as she made her way out of the home. "W-What was all the commotion Mother?" Ariel asked with a worried look on her teenage face. "Nothing sweetheart… J-Just a person who didn't want to work for your Daddy anymore…" she fibbed. "Oh… Well they certainly didn't handle that gracefully, did they Mother?" the young woman replied. "N-Not all people can handle things with as much grace as a Gleeful can, dear…" she once again lied. "W-Where are you going?" Ariel asked as the worried look remained on her face. "I-I have to meet up with some old friends… I-I'll be back as soon as I can though. I promise…" she explained. "Okay! Have fun!" the girl cheerfully responded. "I will! You behave for your Father! He's been going through a lot today…" Jennifer replied. "I certainly will!" the blue eyed teen reassured her Mother. Dr. McGucket closed the front door and took a deep sigh. "Maybe being a Mom won't be such a bad thing…" she said to herself as she took out her car keys and walked through the muggy air of the mid-June afternoon.

Amber raced down Route 618 as a light mist had begun to fall; tears filling her brown eyes as she picked up her phone and placed a call. "Hello?" the feminine voice on the other side of the call replied. "Tambry… I-It's Amber" she began as a pair of headlights appeared further behind her on the road. "Hey! Haven't talked to you in a while… How's my favorite insider in the Gleeful administration doing?" the violet haired woman asked as she sat down at her dining room table and opened up her laptop. "Look… I-I just quit my job…" the blonde said in a crestfallen tone. "I-I'm sorry to hear that…" Tambry said. She was upset that her only major source of leaks inside the tight-lipped administration wouldn't be providing her with any more news, but felt for the woman nonetheless. "I-I plan to go out with a bang though! I-I've got a bombshell that will bring down his whole house of cards and ruin his run for President!" she cheerily informed the reporter. "F-For real?! You're not fucking with me?!" the olive skinned woman replied with shock. She had always hoped that her contact inside the Senator's inner circle would lead to a big story and was skeptical of the now unemployed woman. "YES! One hundred percent for real! I can't say much over the phone because that scientist bitch he keeps on staff might have this thing bugged, but suffice to say that misappropriated taxpayer money is the least of his worries…" she reassured Tambry. "Okay… Meet me at the usual spot and we'll talk…" the reporter replied in a calm tone as she tried to hide her excitement. "Okay… I gotta go… Some asshole is riding my ass and his lights are right in my eyes…" Amber said before ending the call. " **YES! YES! YES! FUCK YEAH!** " Tambry exclaimed as she leaped out of her seat and jumped up and down. If the story turned out to be true, this could be the big break that she had been waiting nearly two decades for.

The two door subcompact Amber drove down Route 618 approached a bridge that crossed Hirsch Gorge; a large truck now following close behind. "What is this dude's fucking problem?" Amber asked herself as she struggled to see the road in front of her through the bright lights. The truck made contact with the tiny car as it began to traverse the half mile long bridge; pieces of the vehicle falling to the roadway below. "What the hell?!" the blonde said to herself as felt it hit again; this time almost lifting the rear end of the car off the road. Amber reached over to retrieve her phone from the passenger seat she had tossed it to after hanging up with Tambry; a panic filling her as she did so. For a third time, the truck hit her car, this time causing it swerve back and forth on the rain soaked road. Seeing the headlights begin to fade away, Amber thought that the threat was over; perhaps a drunk driver behind the wheel of the large automobile. Dialing 911, she heard the powerful engine of the truck rev up and the headlights once again began to grow in her rear-view mirror. This impact was much stronger than the previous three and caused the young woman to lose control of her car. Turning sideways, the car burst through the guardrail and plunged over the side. Amber covered her face with her arms as she knew she was about to meet her demise. The small vehicle fell nearly three hundred feet before making contact with the shallow riverbed below. The truck came to a stop just before the mangled guardrail and a muscle bound man exited it. Letting out a whistle of amazement, he looked over the edge to see the smoking ruin of the automobile. He removed his phone from his pocket and placed a call. "This is Killbone. It's done…" was all he muttered into the mobile device before hanging up. He checked the ram bar on the front of his truck for any damage before getting back into it and driving off into the early evening. "Excellent…" Gideon said as he spun his office chair around and began to laugh maniacally. "911, what is your emergency?" the operator on the other end of the line repeatedly asked as the sound of the speaker echoed in the otherwise quiet forest.

 **Author's Note:** First of all, thank you for the views and reviews! As always, I am grateful for each and every one of them and encourage my readers to leave their feedback on the Shooting Star Falls AU. While I'm on that topic, I absolutely love the fanart that I've been seeing! Keep it up! So, when writing her character outline, I kept imagining Jennifer McGucket as sort of like a raver version of Abby from NCIS. As for her physical appearance, I kept thinking of Margot Robbie's portrayal of Harleen Quinzel from Suicide Squad. Just a bubbly blonde woman who you wouldn't necessarily think of as an intelligent person if you took her at face value. Wendy and Dipper revealed the fact that they would be portrayed in an upcoming film and I think the girls took it pretty well, especially Courtney, who didn't know nearly as much about the whole situation as her cousins. As far as the whole Gideon situation, I felt like I had to drive home the point that he will stop at nothing to gain that ultimate power he seeks and that nobody is indispensable to him if it furthers his cause. While the end of the original series had portrayed him as someone who was trying to change, the fact was that he was who he was and embraced it later on in his life. As to his motivations for becoming President of the Cascadian Republic, that will be revealed. Do you think that Gideon was being sincere when he entertained the idea of a relationship with Jennifer or do you think that he views her only as a pawn in his twisted game? What role will Ariel and Baron Gleeful play in all of this? What will Pacifica Pines do with the spellbook next? What will be the next move for Grendy in her complicated relationship with Courtney and Mateo? What has become of Amber? Answers to all these questions and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Ax & The Flame... Until then- iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Joywave – "Doubt"

Sleater-Kinney – "A New Wave"

Dimmu Borgir – "Interdimensional Summit"

The Dandy Warhols – "Bohemian Like You"

Red – "Already Over"

Red Sun Rising – "Deathwish"

Parkway Drive – "I Hope You Rot" (The song that was playing while I wrote about Jennifer's discovery of Gideon and Amber)

Chimaira – "Power Trip"

Suicidal Tendencies – "Nothing To Lose"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

 **P1). Underage Discoveries** **On** **A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel**

 **1). A Shooting Star Falls**

 **2). Echoes** **Of** **A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **4). The Dark Days** **Of** **Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **8). Birthday Weirdness** **In** **The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **9). The Gift** **Of** **Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **10). Life** **In** **Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **12). Tales** **Of** **The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**


	14. Chapter 14

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Fourteen:** **The Unrelenting Storm Of Our Lives**

Tambry Bennett's patience was beginning to wear thin as she took another sip of her now lukewarm coffee. It had been nearly two hours since she had arrived at Greasy's Diner and the violet haired reporter had begun to feel as if she had been stood up. "I knew she was full of shit…" the thirty six year old muttered to herself as she looked out the window to see a bolt of lightning streaking across the early evening sky. "You need another cup, hun?" a familiar voice asked as Tambry was shaken from her thoughts. "Nah… I think I'm just about ready to go home…" she replied to her now good friend Alexa. Following the death of her grandmother Lazy Susan, the former Sportlympic champion had returned to the small Pacific Northwest town to take over the family business. While overwhelmed at first, the young woman soon got the hang of it and now enjoyed her work immensely. She had seen Tambry conduct many an interview in the friendly confines of the diner and expected to see the same scene yet again. "I take it you were expecting somebody?" the usually bubbly blonde asked in a softer tone. "Yeah… I-I thought it was gonna be my big break. I was promised some bombshell information that would bring down a high profile public figure, but it turned out to be a total load…" the olive skinned woman said as she pulled out her wallet and removed her credit card from it. "I'm sorry to hear that, hun…" the pink uniform clad woman replied. "Eh… Part of the job… Anyway, what do I owe ya?" Tambry asked. "On the house…" Alexa said with a smile. "Thanks… That means a lot" the reporter gratefully said as she put her card away and got up from the booth. "No problem! I hope your night gets better!" the cheery restaurant owner said as she left to attend to another customer.

Ranger Wendy Pines' alarm cut through the relative silence of two story home nestled in the woods. "Ugh…" the auburn haired woman groaned as she threw the comforter off of her, rolled over and silenced the annoying tone. "Welp… Back to work…" the thirty-six year old mother of two remarked as she got out of bed and began her walk to the bathroom. Flipping on the light switch, Wendy let out a large yawn and raised her arms above her head; her white ribbed tank top riding up to reveal her pink and white striped panties. Turning on the faucet, a cascade of water began to fall into the porcelain basin below. The still groggy woman scooped up some of the chilly liquid and splashed her freckled face with it. "It's too damn early…" Wendy grumbled as she began to disrobe and turned on the shower. She was excited to get back to work, as she enjoyed it quite a bit, but had gotten used to sleeping in over the long weekend. After her shower, the slender woman donned her tan and olive green ranger uniform; taking a look back at her still slumbering husband before departing the room. Storms had rolled in the previous evening and while the worst of it had passed, a steady rain continued to fall from the pre-dawn sky. Closing the front door of the house, a sudden and bright flash illuminated the area around the home and a curious Wendy headed off to investigate. Again, the bright light appeared; now clearly emanating from behind the house. The ginger woman poked her head around the corner of her home to see Pacifica turning the page on a large book that was propped up on a tree stump. "What the heck is she doing up so early?" Wendy thought to herself as she approached the brunette teenager. " **IGNITE IRA MANUS!** " the thirteen year old shouted as her hands began to glow a fiery red; steam coming off of them as she drew deep breaths.

" **PACIFICA!** " the uniform clad woman shouted to her child; causing the teen to turn around. "M-Mom! I can explain!" she stuttered as her hands returned to their normal hue. "Are you hurt?!" the emerald eyed woman asked with great concern. "No! I'm fine! Great, in fact!" the young woman replied as she walked over to her mother. "B-But your hands! T-they were on fire!" the confused thirty-six year old exclaimed as she took the smaller hands of her daughter in hers and closely examined them. "I-It's hard to explain… B-But pretty much I learned a spell to conjure fire… It looks like it should burn the crap outta my hands, but it doesn't! See!" Pacifica reassured her frazzled mother. "I'm glad you're alright!" the alabaster skinned woman said with a sigh of relief as a new set of questions filled her head. "Of course she'd find some weird old book… She's definitely a Pines…" the redhead thought to herself. "Look, sweetheart… You should get back to bed… I have, like, a million questions about all of this… But I have to go to work. Promise me that you won't just go back to doing this right after I leave" Wendy explained to her daughter. As excited as Pacifica was to have finally mastered the tricky spell and wanted to keep practicing it, she realized that her mother had become worried for her safety. "Okay Mom. I promise. I'll explain everything tonight…" the brunette said as she wrapped her arms around the midsection of Wendy. "Thank you… I love you, honey…" the ginger woman replied as she returned the embrace. "Love you too Mommy…" Pacifica said as she closed the book and walked towards the back door of the house with it tucked under her arm.

The twenty minute drive to Lake Gravity Falls National Park allowed Wendy to think about what she had just seen. "I, like, totally saw that… Right?" she asked herself as she turned into the park. "M-My daughter's hands were on fire! I-I totally didn't just imagine that, did I?" she again questioned herself as she parked her sport utility. Walking through the front door of the station, she spied her co-workers huddled around a computer. "I would ask you how your vacation was, but I think we just found out…" a dirty blonde haired ranger commented as she motioned for her to join them. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that they were watching the interview she had with the member of the paparazzi in Vancouver. "So… It's true?" Jim, another co-worker of hers asked. "Y-Yeah… They're filming the movie right now…" Wendy replied; her voice a little softer than usual. "That's so cool!" Jackie Lynn, the woman with the dirty blonde hair said. "Well… It is and it isn't… I mean, on one hand, everyone can finally see what I went through that day… But on the other, I kinda want to just move on from it. It was probably the worst day of my life and I don't like to think about it that much…" she clarified. "I-I could see why…" Jim commented.

Wendy got into her patrol vehicle and began her rounds for the day as the rain continued to fall. About three hours into her shift, she rounded a curve and arrived at one of her favorite spots in the park and maybe on the whole planet for that matter. Parking on the bank of a stream, she got out of the sport utility vehicle and strolled towards the water's edge. The recent rainfall had caused the usually docile body of water to come alive and water now cascaded down the three hundred foot tall waterfall in the distance as opposed to its usual trickle. A bright red object in the distance caught her attention and she sprinted towards it as it soon became apparent what it was. " **Holy Shit!** " she exclaimed as she reached the crumpled remains of the small car; the front end embedded into the ground about three feet or so. "T-This is District Ranger Pines! I-I have a situation here at Hirsch Gorge! Contact GFPD and get them out here stat!" she practically shouted into her walkie-talkie. Glancing up at the bridge that spanned the gorge above, it soon became apparent as to what had happened. " _Jesus Christ…_ " the auburn haired woman said as she removed her tan brimmed hat from her head and held it to her chest. She wanted to remain hopeful, but knew the odds of someone surviving that kind of plunge were astronomical at best. She swallowed hard and peered into the vehicle to find the corpse of a blonde woman; the interior coated in her now dried blood. She felt something beneath her boot and stepped back to find a rose gold cellphone on the ground beside the crumpled wreckage. Once again looking into the vehicle, she took note of the sharp looking attire the deceased woman wore. A black pencil skirt, a once white blouse and a black blazer adorned the driver of the doomed automobile. A plastic Identification badge hung from the rearview mirror and Wendy's curiosity got the better of her. Although her time in the Gravity Falls Police Department had taught her not to tamper with potential evidence, she yearned to know more about the mysterious woman.

Unclipping the badge from the mirror, she took a good look at it. A fairly pretty young woman's image graced the plastic card. " _Brown, Amber C_ … _Chief Of Staff_ …" the park ranger said aloud as she observed the seal of both Oregon and the Cascadian Republic Senate. "Wow… No wonder she's dressed the way she is…" Wendy thought to herself as she carefully clipped the identification card back to the rear view mirror. A few minutes later, the chief of police for Gravity Falls arrived on the scene with a few of his officers. Blubs and Durland had long since retired from the force and in their place a new generation of officers had taken over. "Ranger Pines…" the deep voice of the Chief said as he exited his cruiser and approached the scene. "Chief Purcell…" the auburn haired woman replied as she tipped her hat to him. "So… Bring me up to speed. What do we know?" the tall African-American man asked the former officer. "Well… I'm not an expert or anything, but I'd say she drove off the bridge and ended up here…" Wendy replied. "Yeah… I think we all can come to that conclusion. What I want to know is if you noticed anything peculiar about it…" Chief Purcell clarified. "Well… I'd say it happened sometime in the past twenty-four hours judging by the lack of decomposition on the body. I also noticed that a cell phone was ejected from the vehicle… I'd have investigated it further, but I didn't want to tamper with the scene…" the ginger woman replied. "Well, that didn't keep you from checking her ID… Did it?" he asked with a smirk on his face. "H-How'd you know?!" Wendy asked with bewilderment. She was certain that she had placed it back exactly the way she had found it. "Easy… Who clips their ID to the mirror with the front of it facing outward?" he smugly pointed out. "Shut up and get me a pair of gloves so I can check her phone Nate…" the embarrassed redhead shot back.

Putting on a pair of the black rubber gloves, she removed the digital device from the muddy ground and pressed the power button. The screen illuminated and for a brief moment displayed the time it had last been powered on before adjusting to the current time. "Nate! Did you see that?!" she asked; hoping the officer had noticed the same thing she had. "Yeah… I didn't catch the exact time, but it was last ni-" he began before being cut off. "Six thirty-nine…" Wendy pointed out as a smile broke out on her face. "Very good Ranger Pines…" he complemented the former officer. Wanting to unlock the device to access the call log, she noticed the device was an ePhone. "This is gonna sound nuts… B-But can I use her fingerprint to unlock this and see if she was on the phone at the time of the accident?" Wendy inquired. "I was about to suggest that myself…" Chief Purcell commented. Grabbing the cold arm of the blonde woman, Wendy held her finger to the sensor. "Don't worry Amber… We're gonna find out what happened to you…" she promised the deceased woman as the phone unlocked. Selecting the call icon, two numbers immediately stood out to her in the recent contacts list. One was a call to 911 the previous evening, which made sense, but the second one caught her attention. " _No fucking way…_ " she whispered to herself as she saw the name of her best friend displayed on the screen. "Anything interesting, Ranger Pines?" Nate asked as he walked up to her. "Y-Yeah… Of course she called 911… But the call before that was to a woman I know…" Wendy replied. "Tambry Bennett… Why does that name sound so familiar?" the mocha skinned man asked himself as he ran his hand along his shaved head. "She's my best friend… And an reporter for Action News One…" the freckled woman said.

Wendy placed the phone back down where she found it and removed the rubber gloves she had donned. Taking her own phone out of her pocket, she soon placed a call to Tambry. "H-Hello?" the voice of the journalist asked. "Hey Tambry…" the auburn haired woman said in an unsure tone. "I-Is everything alright Wen?" the olive skinned woman asked with concern. She knew that Wendy should be at work and that she usually didn't call her this early in the morning. "Sort of…" the park ranger replied in the same tone of voice. "What's up?" Tambry inquired in a more firm voice than before. "I-I'm here at Hirsch Gorge… D-Do you happen to know an Amber Brown by any chance?" she asked her best friend. The purple haired journalist was still a bit cross about being stood up by the high ranking official in the Gleeful administration and just the mention of her name brought those feelings back. "Yeah! Dumb bitch was supposed to meet me for some coffee at Greasy's last night, but she never showed…" Tambry replied; the anger noticeable in her voice. "Well… I think I know why she didn't show up…" Wendy said in sullen tone. "W-What are you saying, Wendy?" Tambry asked with a sense that her best friend was about to deliver some upsetting news to her. "I-It looks like she had an accident along the way… She drove off the Hirsch Gorge Bridge… Tambry, I'm so sorry…" the redhead said as she fought off tears; certain that her bestie on the other end was doing the same. "No!" the violet haired reporter gasped with disbelief. "Hey Pines! Take a look at this!" Nate shouted in the distance. Still on the phone with Tambry, she put it on speakerphone and walked over to the rear of the vehicle. "Notice anything odd?" he asked the former officer. "That damage… I-It couldn't have been caused by the fall…" Wendy said with shock. "Bingo! It looks like Ms. Brown had a little help off the bridge last night…" Chief Purcell remarked. Walking away, the park ranger took the call off of speakerphone and resumed her call. "Did you catch that?!" Wendy said with pure shock. "Y-Yeah… And I think I know why it might have happened…" Tambry replied in a crestfallen tone. "Meet me at Greasy's in twenty… I'm gonna go tell my co-workers that Pacifica isn't feeling well… Which isn't a total lie… But I'll fill you in on that as well…" the ginger woman said. "Okay… This is just so fucked up…" Tambry remarked. "I know… But that's kinda how it goes around here, isn't it?" Wendy asked. "Yeah… Anyway, I'll see you soon…" the violet haired reported said. "See you soon…" Wendy ended the call as she hung up.

"Hey Nate… Do you need me for anything else? I just got a text that my daughter isn't feeling too hot and I wanted to go check on her…" she fibbed. "Yeah… That's fine. If I have any more questions, I have your number…" the chief of police replied. Wendy got into her sport utility and headed back to the station, where she was certain that she would be bombarded with questions from her coworkers regarding the grisly scene she stumbled upon. The drive gave her some time to reflect upon what she had seen in the course of only twelve hours. Her teenage daughter was practicing magic spells in the backyard before sunrise, which she found to be a bit unsettling to say the least and she had stumbled upon the wreckage of a car that had fallen more than three hundred feet; discovering that it may have been a murder. It was a lot to unpack for the ginger woman as she parked her car and waked to the front door of the ranger station. Much to her relief, only Jackie Lynn was at the station. "Hey… If it's alright, I'm gonna take off for the day… I-I just got a text that Pacifica wasn't feeling well and I wanna go check on her…" she fibbed to her fellow ranger. "Okay… I've got things under control here Wen… Tell Paz that I hope she feels better!" Jackie Lynn replied. "Thanks!" the auburn woman said as headed to Greasy's to meet up with her best friend.

The rain continued to fall as Wendy drove towards the meeting with her best friend. Having to cross the bridge that Amber had driven off of, the former officer took it as a chance to do a bit of recon. One lane of traffic was closed as crews worked to repair the guardrail; the bright flashes coming from a welder as it fused the separated pieces of metal back together. She noticed broken glass from the rear window littering the roadway long before the point where she left the bridge, as well as pieces of the rear taillight. Wendy thought of how to describe the scene she had seen at Hirsch Gorge; the crumpled remains of the car that held the body of Amber Brown. While she had just learned of the friendship between the two, she could tell that it ran deep between the reporter and the Chief of Staff. She wondered how long the two had known each other and if their relationship extended beyond that of reporter and source. She had her suspicions as the news came as quite a shock to the woman she had called her best friend for most of her life. Pulling her trusty sport utility into the muddy parking lot of Greasy's, she took a deep breath in anticipation of the conversation she was about to have. "C'mon… Pull it together Pines! Y-You've had to deliver bad news like this before… B-But it's never been to someone I cared about before… Ugh!" she chided herself as she opened the door and entered the now torrential rainstorm; her boots sinking deep into the mud below.

Walking into the diner, she spied her violet haired friend sitting in a booth at the far end. "Nice weather we're having, huh?" Tambry commented as she took in the sight of her best friend; her clothes soaked from the rain. "Couldn't imagine a more beautiful day if I tried…" Wendy sarcastically shot back as she took off her brimmed ranger hat and placed it on the linoleum table. Taking a seat across from her bestie, she looked into the hazel eyes of the reporter; their eyes meeting for a brief moment before Tambry's darted off to the window at the end of the booth. "Tambry… Look, I-I'm so sorry…" the redhead said a sullen tone as she extended her hands across the table and placed them on those of her best friends'. "Thanks…" the olive skinned woman said in a grateful tone. While she hadn't talked to Amber much outside of their working relationship, the death still hit her hard. She felt incredibly embarrassed that she was feeling angry about the missed meeting while Amber was either dead or dying at the bottom of a gorge. "So… It wasn't just an accident, was it?" Tambry asked in what was almost a whisper; still not believing that somebody would want to harm the twenty-six year old woman. "That's what the GFPD is leaning towards… And I feel the same way" Wendy confirmed as a familiar waitress approached them.

"Hey Wendy! Long time, no see!" Alexa said as she placed two ceramic coffee mugs down onto the table. "Dude, it's only been a week…" the ginger woman chuckled. Stopping by almost every morning for a quick cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich on her way to work, she could see how her presence could be missed. "I heard that you went on a trip! How'd that go?" Alexa inquired as she sat down in the booth. "It was eventful to say the least…" Wendy replied with a sigh. "Okay… Now I gotta know! Dish, girl!" the petite woman enthusiastically instructed her. "Well, to make a long story short… The Northwest family is making a movie about Pacifica's life that centers around what happened that day at the bank…" the alabaster skinned woman explained. "Shut up! D-Did they ask you or Dipper if it was alright to?! I-I mean, they had to have, right!?" she exclaimed. "Nope. We only found out because I kept getting mistaken for the actress who's playing me… Luckily, she was super awesome and set up a meeting with the producer… Suffice to say that the script was all fucked up and we had to un-fuck it up…" Wendy added. "Wow! That's messed up! A-At least it's gonna be accurate now though. Sounds like an interesting time to say the least…" Alexa concluded as she got up from the booth. "Yup… Never a boring moment for Wendy Pines…" the mother of two said in a sullen tone. "Well, you guys think of what you want and I'll go fetch some coffee…" the waitress replied before walking off.

"You said something about Pacifica not feeling well?" Tambry said as she tried steering the conversation in a different direction. "Yeah… I-I caught her doing something odd" Wendy hesitantly replied. While she knew that she could trust Tambry, she still didn't quite believe what she had witnessed herself. "Oh! It's one of _those_ things… Wen, honey, they're gonna do that at their age… I mean, just a few weeks ago, I walked in on Lucas jac-" she began before being cut off by her best friend. "No! Not that! I-I caught her doing magic!" Wendy interjected. "Magic? Like hocus pocus junk? What's so bad about that?" the violet haired woman inquired. "More like, Bill Cipher, bringing about the end of the universe as we know it magic…" the redhead explained. "I thought that spellbook she had on the trip was just a load. Guess we should know better than that when it comes to mysterious books in this town though…" Tambry commented. "Yeah… I-I saw her hands on fire! S-She created fire out of nowhere!" Wendy exclaimed. "Have you talked to her about it?" the reporter asked as Alexa returned with a pot of coffee. "Only briefly before work. I asked her to not do it until I got home from work, but who knows if she'll listen to me" Wendy said in a defeated tone. "She's thirteen… And definitely takes after you, so I'd take that as a no…" Tambry remarked; letting out a small chuckle while doing so. She thought it kind of ironic that the twin that more resembled Dipper acted more like Wendy; a free spirit who played by her own rules. "I-I'm just worried is all…" Wendy remarked as she took a sip of the piping hot coffee. The pair continued to converse as the storm raged outside the diner.

Pacifica Pines heeded her mother's advice and had returned to the house, where she crawled back into her bed and fell fast asleep. "Paz! Paz! Wake up!" Mabel shouted as her sister stirred in her bed. "Ugh… What? What's going on? I-Is the house on fire?!" she asked with alarm as she rubbed her eyes. "No… I was gonna ask you if you wanted to play some mini-golf with me… B-But I gotta show you something instead!" the ginger teen said to her twin. "Alright… But it better be good. I was having that dream about Justin Towers Jr. again…" Pacifica commented. "The one on the beach?" Mabel inquired. "Oh yeah…" the brunette replied while biting her lower lip as she recalled the explicit dream. Grasping her twin sister's hand, she led her to the bathroom down the hall and flipped on the light switch. Pacifica let out an audible gasp as she observed her reflection in the mirror. Instead of her usual brunette locks, now the left half of her hair was light silver; her pupil an icy blue in color. " _What the fuck?_ " the teenager softly said with bewilderment. Her hands trembled as she pulled her eyelid open to get a better look at her eye. While her vision hadn't been affected as best as she could tell, it was still unsettling that such a drastic change in appearance could happen literally overnight. "D-Does it hurt?" a very concerned Mabel asked as she placed a caring hand on her sister's shoulder. "No. It just looks different, but I feel fine" she replied in a soft tone; still off put by her new look.

"How do you think it happened?" Mabel asked as she took a seat on the closed lid of the toilet; her feet swinging back and forth above the tiled floor. "When I got the streak, I thought you had done it… B-But now I know what it is… It's the magic… It's doing this to me…" Pacifica remarked as she began to pace around the bathroom. "I-I was practicing that spell to make fire… And I did it! It was awesome! That must have been what caused this!" she continued. Unknown to the twin girls, their father had come upstairs to tell them that breakfast was just about ready. Hearing their voices coming from the bathroom, Dipper headed that way. Knocking on the door frame, he peered in to see something he was not expecting. Pacifica's hair was now half brunette and half silver. The change in appearance was something he was about to write off as something she had done to simply change up her look when he caught sight of her pupil. Instead of the hazel colored eyes that both girls had inherited from him, one of them was now an icy blue in color. "What happened?! A-Are you alright?! Your Mom is gonna kill me!" he exclaimed while rushing towards his daughter. "Dad… I'm fine. I'll explain everything over breakfast… Which smells like it's burning by the way…" Pacifica pointed out as her father ran out of the bathroom and back downstairs. "Well… This should be fun…" the silver and brown haired girl said as she made her way downstairs, unsure of how her Dad would take the news that she was practicing magic from a book she found in the woods. She thought that if anyone could understand though, it would be the man who once used a mysterious journal to confront and defeat the various mythological creatures the town counted among its inhabitants.

 **Author's Note:** This chapter took a little while to write and once again I had it nearly done, only to delete it all and start over. I'm happy with the way it turned out this time and hopefully you will too. I appreciate the views, reviews and fanart. If you happen to make or come across any of the wonderful art, please don't hesitate to PM me so I can see it too! I've had a rough go of it lately, so all your positive feedback has helped me out a ton! Thank you! So, a lot to unpack here. Tambry was expecting to get a big scoop and came up empty handed. She was rightfully angry about it, but ended up feeling terrible once the whole truth was uncovered. Wendy discovering that Pacifica is dipping her feet into the dark arts was a huge shock to her. Will Wendy, Tambry and the GFPD uncover the shocking truth of Amber's tragic demise? How will Gideon spin the event in a positive way for himself? Is Pacifica's newly acquired skill a blessing or a curse? How will everyone else react to her new appearance? What's the next step in the complicated relationship between Grendy and her two suitors? How will the Gleeful children play into all of this? Answers to all this and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story… -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

The Flaming Lips – "The W.A.N.D. (The Will Always Negates Defeat)"

Saint Asonia – "Let Me Live My Life"

Asking Alexandria – "Alone In A Room"

Deftones – "Change (In The House Of Flies)"

The Fever 333 – "Walking In My Shoes"

Jinjer – "Outlander"

Madball – "Set It Off.."

grandson – "Blood / Water"

Something Corporate – "Punk Rock Princess"

Pearl Jam – "Got Some"

Rainbow Kitten Surprise – "Fever Pitch"

Florence And The Machine – "Ship To Wreck"

King Princess – "1950"

Meg Meyers – "Numb" (The song that I imagine playing when after Wendy ends her call with Tambry regarding the fate of Amber. Just the sullen and plodding tone fit the scene just right)

Arctic Monkeys – "Four Out Of Five"

Cigarettes After Sex – "Apocalypse" (The song I picture playing in the background as Wendy talks with Tambry in the diner. Especially the line 'Sharing all the secrets that we've had since we were kids')

Amy Shark – "I Said Hi"

Mike Shinoda – "Crossing A Line"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

 **P1). Underage Discoveries** **On** **A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel**

 **1). A Shooting Star Falls**

 **2). Echoes** **Of** **A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **4). The Dark Days** **Of** **Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **8). Birthday Weirdness** **In** **The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **9). The Gift** **Of** **Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **10). Life** **In** **Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **12). Tales** **Of** **The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**


	15. Chapter 15

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Fifteen:** **A Once In** **A Thousand Year Flood**

An overwhelming sense of dread came over thirteen year old Pacifica Pines, who had to explain to her father how she had found a spellbook in the woods and begun to practice some of the spells held within. Now somewhat versed in the paranormal history of the small Pacific Northwest town, she wondered what his reaction would be to the news. Her parents had fought an interdimensional dream demon that was hell-bent on taking over the universe, so she figured that it wouldn't be met with all that much enthusiasm. Mabel made her way downstairs, while Pacifica decided to freshen up a bit before having a tough conversation with her father. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet; a cascade of chilly water spilling from it. Placing her petite hands into the frigid water, she scooped up a bit of it and splashed her face with it. While the change in her appearance had been jarring in and of itself, the dream she had before waking up was even more so. Shaken by it, she had lied to her own twin sister about it to save face. Instead of a dreamy teen boy, she had visions of a woman who told her to continue with her training. The woman, who sported dark black hair with white highlights, told her that others wouldn't get it; that they would feel threatened by her newly learned skills. The woman, who wore a tattered, bloody and dingy lace wedding dress, spoke with a tranquility that Pacifica hadn't heard before. She told the teenage girl that fate had led her to the jewel encrusted tome and that it had been waiting a long time for her. Pacifica asked the woman who she was; unsure if she should trust the spirit who had infiltrated her mind. "All in due time, my dear. For now, just call me a friend…" she replied before the dream ended.

Pacifica descended the stairs and saw her father and sister chowing down on a feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and burnt toast. "We need to talk…" Dipper said as he placed his fork down and looked across the hand-crafted wooden table. "Yeah… I-I did say that I'd explain it all, didn't I?" Pacifica agreed. "So… H-How did this happen?" the thirty-three year old father of two inquired. Having been possessed by a dream demon, he worried that his daughter had met the same fate. Dipper wasn't even entirely sure that it really was Pacifica sitting across from him. His twin sister Mabel had later told him that his eyes gave away the fact that he wasn't in control of his mortal vessel; their appearance a bright yellow with oblong pupils. Seeing that Pacifica's pupil had changed color as well, he worried that the thirteen year old was merely a puppet for some sort of specter. "It's actually kind of a funny thing when you really think about it… One of those things where it's ' _Like father, like daughter_ ' situations…" the teen girl said with a nervous chuckle before continuing her explanation. "When I ran away on Thanksgiving night… I-I found a cave to spend the night in" she reminded both her father and her sister. "Yeah… That was pretty amazing. What does this have to do with how you look though?" Dipper asked. "I decided to explore the cave and make sure it wasn't anyone else's home… That's where I found a book… A spellbook…" she informed her father. " **A SPELLBOOK?! IN A CAVE?!** Did you ever think that maybe it was in there for a reason?!" the usually calm man exclaimed. " **YEAH! FOR ME TO FIND!** " Pacifica shot back. "The last time a member of this family found a strange book in the woods the world almost ended…" Dipper pointed out. Mabel continued to eat her meal while watching the exchange between her sister and father. " _Dad_ … It's not like that at all! I-I'm not even going to try any of the spells that could lead to _that_ … Just little ones that could be useful if things ever did get bad…" the sapphire and hazel eyed girl replied. "Y-You don't know what you're messing with! For all we know, the second you opened that book it could have caused a breach between dimensions or something… I-It happened before! What's to say it wouldn't happen again?!" Dipper said in a frazzled tone as he clutched his head; his hands grasping at his thick chestnut hair.

All three sat at the table in silence as they tried to reel in their emotions. Dipper realized that while he was upset with his daughter, he probably shouldn't be shouting at her. Pacifica, meanwhile, thought about the fact that she had rarely raised her voice to her father before and began to feel bad about it. Mabel was upset by the argument and tried her best to keep their anger from being directed at her by remaining silent during the exchange. "I-I'm sorry if I got a little angry there… B-But you haven't been through what I have. I will fight until my last breath to keep that from ever happening again. I want you to grow up to be happy and healthy… Not carrying around these invisible battle scars that pretty much everyone in this town over age twenty does each and every day" he explained to the brunette and silver haired girl. "Maybe Great Grunkle Ford can take a look at the book and see if it poses any danger?" Mabel suggested. "Yeah!" Pacifica quickly agreed. "That's not the worst idea I've ever heard of" Dipper said before picking up his fork and scooping some eggs with it. Taking a bite, he grimaced a bit. "Ugh! They're cold… I'm gonna reheat them" he commented with disappointment. Getting up from the table, he took the bowl of scrambled eggs and placed them back into the skillet he had cooked them in. He tried to relight the gas stove, but it wouldn't ignite. Pacifica's face lit up as she realized that this could be the opportunity to prove that her newly learned skills could be helpful. "Stand back Dad, I've got this…" she said in a confident tone as she walked over to the faulty kitchen appliance. Cracking her knuckles, she thought of the incantation and soon her fists began to glow a fiery red. Pointing her index finger at the burner, a small burst of flame shot towards the stove and soon it lit. Mabel and Dipper looked on in stunned silence as the thirteen year old girl's hands changed back to their normal hue. "Told ya… I've totally got this…" she said in a smug tone of voice before sitting back down at the table. " **THAT WAS AMAZING!** " Mabel shouted as she bounced up and down in her seat with excitement. While she had borne witness to other spells, this was the first time she had seen the pyrokinesis in action. "Okay… I have to admit, that was pretty neat…" Dipper finally replied.

After reheating the eggs, Dipper sat back down at the table and the trio continued their meal. "Hey Paz… Pass the OJ…" Mabel asked her sister, knowing what was coming next. A moment later, the glass pitcher of orange juice lifted off the table and floated over to the auburn haired teenager. " _What the?_ " Dipper asked in shock as wondered if what he had just witnessed was indeed real. "Oh yeah… I can do that too!" Pacifica cheerily replied before tilting the container and pouring the orange liquid into her sister's glass. "Anything else that I should know about?" her father asked. She did want to tell him about the dream she had, but thought better of it. She figured that he had learned enough about her new skills for the day and that communicating with a dead bride would be a bit much. "Nah… Just those two spells…" she replied before taking a bite of bacon. "I'll call Ford and see if he can come over later to have a look at that book… In the meantime, mind if I examine it?" the chestnut haired man asked. "Sure… Mabel and I were gonna go play laser tag with the girls in a little bit…" Pacifica replied. "What do you think they're gonna say about your new look?" Mabel asked with a bit of concern in her voice. "I don't know…" she answered in an unsure tone. While she was certain that her friends would be supportive, the change wasn't a subtle one and was sure to garner more attention than she would have liked. "I guess that if they can deal with one of my hands being fake, then this will be nothing…" she nonchalantly finished her thought. "That's the spirit sis-sis!" the always upbeat Mabel replied as she began to think of what outfit to wear to the outing.

Wendy and Tambry ended up ordering a stack of pancakes to share and had just finished devouring them when the auburn haired woman's phone began to ring. "Huh… That's odd…" the ginger woman commented as she picked it up off the linoleum table. "What's that?" Tambry asked. "Dip never calls me while I'm at work… Unless it's something serious…" she commented before answering the call. "Hey honey… I-Is everything alright?" Wendy asked with a bit of concern in her voice. "Yeah… I-I mean, mostly" he stuttered into the phone as he tried to think of how best to explain what he had just witnessed in their kitchen. "Mason Alexander Pines… What's going on? A-Are the girls okay?" she asked in a bit more frantic tone. "Yeah! They actually just left to go meet up with their friends for some laser tag…" he informed his wife. "Okay… So then why are you calling me?" she inquired. "Well, it's about Pacifica" he said before once again pausing to think of what to say. "What about her?" the mother of two asked. "Well… S-She found this old book in the woods when she ran away last fall..." he began before once again collecting his thoughts. "Oh… This has to be about the magic I caught her doing…" she thought to herself. While she wanted to tell her husband what she had stumbled upon while leaving for work earlier in the morning, she knew it would upset him if he found out that she hadn't told him about it the minute she discovered it for herself. Instead, she feigned ignorance as best she could. "What is it with Pines kids finding old books in the woods?" she replied. "Yeah… tell me about it…" he agreed. "That's not the half of it though… Apparently she's been practicing some of the spells! S-She can create fire with her mind! A-And levitate things too!" he informed her with a somewhat excited tone. "Huh… I-I don't know if it's the safest thing to be doing… Remember that eighties movie about the little girl who could start fires with her mind… W-What if that happens to her?! What if the government comes after her? I-I know that Ford and Stan worked really hard to remove any trace of that, but if something new pops up, who knows if they still could?" Wendy asked with a concerned voice.

Dipper thought about how to tell his wife that the magic had affected the physical appearance of the young woman. That the brunette with hazel eyes she had given birth to now sported half a head of silver hair and an ice blue eye. "I-I know… That's why Ford is coming over later. He's gonna take a look at this book and see if it poses a threat. If it does, we'll get rid of it the same way we did with the journals…" he reassured his wife; recalling how the night before the twins left Gravity Falls for the first time they had given the tomes a Viking funeral of sorts. "Okay. That's sounds like a good plan. Anything else I should know about?" she inquired; knowing that her husband wasn't always the most forthcoming with information. "So… You know that little streak that Pacifica got during the trip?" he asked his lover. "Yeah? What about it?" she replied. "Well… We found out where it came from… Turns out that the magic is changing her a bit…" Dipper said as he once again paused to gather his thoughts. "Changing her how?! I-Is she alright?!" the redhead exclaimed as Tambry looked on with great interest. She had a vague idea of what the two were talking about, but wasn't exactly sure. "Her hair is now half silver… It's actually not a bad look for her. Oh, and one of her eyes turned blue…" he answered; hoping that she had missed the part about their daughter's eye changing colors overnight. " **BLUE?!** C-Can she still see?!" the thirty-six year old shouted into the phone; a few customers turning around at the outburst. "Y-yeah… She's fine. Like I said, she and Mabel went to go play laser tag. She's perfectly fine… Just a different look, but the same old Pacifica we know and love…" Dipper reassured her.

"Okay… I-I'm not gonna be alright until I see for myself that's she fine though…" she told her husband. "I could see why… Anyway, I'll let you get back to work… I'm sure you have a lot to do out ther-" he began before being cut off. "Dip… I'm not at work. I-I'm actually at Greasy's with Tambry" she informed Dipper. "What are you doing there? Everything alright?" he asked with great concern. "I kinda stumbled across a probable murder scene, so yes and no…" she said in a crestfallen voice. "A murder scene?!" he asked with disbelief. Surely he had either heard her wrong or it was a bad joke that had fallen flat. "Yeah… It looks like someone rammed a car off the Hirsch Gorge Bridge…" she explained. "Wow. Th-That's nuts… So I take it that the GFPD is investigating it now?" he commented. "Yup… Chief Purcell and Gravity Falls' finest are trying to figure out what happened" she replied with a bit of a sarcastic tone. "I met up with Tambry because she knows the victim…" Wendy continued. "The victim was a friend of hers?" Dipper asked with curiosity. For the most part, they shared the same circle of friends, so he wondered who it could have been. "More like a contact for stories… She's still a little shook by it though" she clarified. "Well, tell her I'm sorry for her loss…" Dipper told his wife. "I will. We're just wrapping up here and then I'll be on my way…" she informed him. "Alright… I'll see you soon then. Love you!" he said as the phone call wrapped up. "Love you too!" the ginger woman replied as she ended the call.

"That sounded pretty intense… What's up?" Tambry asked her best friend. "Remember how I told you about Pacifica's magic?" she inquired. "Yeah…" the violet haired reporter replied. "Well… Apparently it's changed her looks a bit…" Wendy said with a bit of a sad tone. "Did she grow a horn or something? A monster arm?" she guessed. "Nope… Her hair kinda is half silver now and one of her eyes turned blue…" the freckled woman said as she took one final sip from her coffee mug. "Huh… That's kinda different. If she keeps it up, she's gonna end up looking like her namesake…" Tambry pointed out. "That would just be weird…" Wendy commented. The two paid for their meal and headed for the door. Outside, the storm continued to rage; the rain coming down in sheets as an angry sky rumbled. "Call me when you get home!" Wendy told her friend. "I will! Be safe!" Tambry replied as she sprinted to her car while holding her hand above her head in a futile effort to stay dry. Wendy chuckled at the sight as she donned her brimmed hat again and walked out into the deluge. Thoroughly drenched, Ranger Wendy Pines slouched down into her seat and took a deep sigh. Thinking back to the first summer she had met the Pines twins, she wondered if history was about to repeat itself nearly two decades later.

Mabel and Pacifica had met up at Grendy's house, where Candy and Grenda would drive them to the indoor laser tag center. Knocking on the door, they were met by their friend's parents. "Oh! Hey Mabel! Hey Pacifica!" Grenda greeted them in her trademark deep tone of voice. Hey Ms. Grenderson!" Mabel cheerily replied as she folded up her umbrella. Looking down at the twin sisters, Grenda took notice of Pacifica's new look. "Digging the new hair Paz!" she replied while shooting the thirteen year old a thumbs up. "Thanks Ms. G!" the young woman said. "Mabel! Pacifica! Welcome!" Candy shouted from the basement, where she was working on her latest project. Having graduated from a technical college, Candy followed her passion of trying to improve upon the human body and had turned her attention to helping those who had various disabilities. At the time, she had been a little upset that Wendy and Dipper hadn't consulted her when Pacifica had her accident, but she had quickly gotten over it. Her latest exploit was to try and perfect a lightweight exoskeleton that would allow quadriplegics to once again use their arms and legs. Taking a break from the project, she ascended the stairs to greet the teen girls in person. Lifting up her welding goggles, she was taken aback by the drastic change in Pacifica's appearance. "Wow! You look so different!" the raven haired woman remarked with her distinctive Korean accent. Pacifica looked down at the floor and became self-conscious of her looks once again. Grenda, who knew the feeling all too well, elbowed her wife in the ribs and grunted as she tried to subtly point out that Candy should clarify her statement. "It looks really good on you!" she added; the silver and brown haired girl's spirits picking up with the comment.

"Mabes! Paz! Ready to blast some laser ass?!" Grendy exclaimed as she came downstairs. Much like her step-mother, the lanky teen girl's initial reaction to the change in her friend's appearance wasn't the most graceful. "What the heck happened to you?!" Grendy asked in shock as she took in the new look of the thirteen year old. "It's a long story…" Pacifica mumbled as they headed towards the door. " _She's kinda sensitive about her looks…_ " Mabel carefully whispered to the taller girl. A feeling of shame came over Grendy as she realized how bad she must have made her good friend feel. "I like it! I-It's just a little different than I'm used to…" she said to the teen girl with the dueling hair colors. "T-Thanks…" Pacifica replied. Soon, they were in the car and on their way to the laser tag center near downtown. After saying goodbye, the trio of teen girls walked thorugh the front door, where an annoyed Courtney Corduroy awaited them. " _Finally_! Do you have any idea how long I was waiting for you guys?" the ginger girl asked her friends. "Sorry… We got a bit of a late start…"Mabel apologized to the slightly agitated fourteen year old. Pacifica took note of Pacifica's new look, but didn't want to make a comment on it as it could be perceived picking on her. While she had changed as a person over the past year, the redhead still was in the process of proving it.

The quartet of teenagers had an afternoon of fun at the laser tag center, where Mabel managed to squeak out a win against Courtney with her final shot. Pacifica, while coming in last, still enjoyed herself as well and for a while forgot about her new looks. Needing to use the restroom, she excused herself from the group. Inside, a gathering of older girls were touching up their makeup in the mirror. A petite blonde was the first to notice Pacifica's presence and approached her. "Can we help you?" the young woman asked in a valley girl-like accent. "J-Just gonna use the bathroom…" she meekly replied while trying to walk past the teen. "This is, like, our bathroom… So you can just beat it…" she shot back while a few of the other girls surrounded her. "Eww… Her hair is horrendous!" an second girl chimed in while clacking her gum. "Yeah! And what's up with that arm?!" yet another pointed out. Tears began to fill the eyes of the thirteen year old as the judgmental comments began to rain down from the pack of older girls. "Shut up!" she shouted while sniffling. "Or what?" one of them called out. Off in the distance stood a familiar yet shocking sight; the woman she had dreamed of the previous night. Wearing the same tattered wedding dress, Pacifica was able to notice just how pale her skin was in the light of day "Help!" Pacifica called out in desperation as one of the girls shoved her. The first girl closed the door to the bathroom and locked it. "I-I don't want any trouble… I-I'll go…" she pleaded with them. "Sorry freak, but that's not an option anymore…" the second girl said as she pushed her to the ground. "Use you power…" the placid voice of the woman said. "I-I don't want to hurt them…" she meekly replied; recalling how she had nearly snapped the neck of Courtney that day on the ballfield. That, however was without the powers she now possessed.

"Oh, look… Now the freak is even talking to herself…" a girl cackled as Pacifica was kicked in the ribs. Like a pack of lions taking down their prey, the older girls descended on her and began to rain down a flurry of kicks and punches. Her eyes filled with tears, she looked through a small break in the girls to see the wedding dress clad woman standing there with a saddened look on her face. "You know what needs to be done, young one…" she said her usual calm tone. A wave of immense rage came over Pacifica and she thought of the spell for levitation. A wave of immense pressure flung the assaulting girls in every direction as the thirteen year old picked herself up and looked at the carnage around her. The doors to the stalls were dented from the impact of a few of the older teens and two now lay atop the porcelain sinks; groaning in pain. The instigator limped to the door and unlocked it; the rest of the girls not far behind as they fled the scene. Walking over to a cracked mirror, Pacifica saw a bruise forming on the side of her face. Suddenly, she spied the mysterious woman standing behind her. "Oh! H-Hello… M-Miss… M-Miss… Uh…" she stuttered in fear. As the woman walked beside her, Pacifica felt the temperature drop. "I-I'm Pacifica…" she introduced herself. "H-Hello little Pine Tree. You have quite a knack for getting yourself into danger, don't you?" the pale woman said as she was now almost face to face with the clearly frightened teen. "M-M-Maybe a little bit…" Pacifica once again stuttered as she nodded in agreement with the woman. "Yes, terribly much so…" the lace dress clad woman replied. "M-Miss… W-W-Why did you help me?" Pacifica questioned in a trembling voice.

A large smile formed on the face of the otherworldly woman and she soon revealed just what her intentions were. "Silly little Pine Tree… We may not be of the flesh anymore, but we still serve the greater good… And it calls out to souls that are crying for help. And it tells us to go and protect them… You need protecting! Can't you feel the danger that surrounds you?!" the woman explained to the still trembling young lady. "Maybe a little bit…" Pacifica agreed. "You don't have to fear… We are fear. We are darkness. We are chaos and we will protect you" the wedding dress clad woman vowed as she placed her index finger on the nose of Pacifica before disappearing. "That was fucking weird… And why did she keep referring to herself as 'we'?" the dual hair colored girl remarked as she cleaned herself off and exited the bathroom. "There you are!" exclaimed Mabel as she spied her twin sister, who now sported a bruise on the side of her face. "What the heck happened to you?!" the redhead shouted as she took a closer look at her twin's swollen face. "I-I got into a bit of a scrap back there with a some older girls, but it's alright now. I kicked their asses and sent them crying for their mommies..." Pacifica said in a proud tone of voice. "You used one of your spells, _didn't you?_ " Mabel shot back. " _Maybe..._ " the bruised teen girl replied.

While Pacifica had been fighting off bullies in the bathroom, Grendy and Courtney had stepped away to have a moment alone. Ever since the lanky teen girl had spoken to her parents, Grendy had the feeling that she had to make a choice. While she harbored feelings for both her best friend Mateo and her former tormentor Courtney, there was one person she was falling for faster and faster by the moment. Taking a seat on a well-worn wooden bench, Grendy looked into the emerald green eyes of her girlfriend. "Courtney... These past few days of dating you have been nothing short of amazing. I've learned things about myself that I didn't even know were there. T-That kiss we shared on the trail was nothing short of magical and I'll remember it for the rest of my life. I-I guess what I'm trying to say is tha-" she said before being cut off by the ginger teen girl that held her hands. "I get it... And it's alright. I know that you've liked him for a long time and I always had a feeling that I was just sort of along for the ride until you figured it all out. I'm okay with that. I-I just wanted you to know that I will always have a place in my heart for yo-" Courtney interjected before being cut off herself. "No! Y-You've got it all wrong! I'm not dumping you! I-I was going to ask you if you wanted to be my girlfriend... My exclusive girlfriend..." Grendy clarified as she noted the large smile forming on the auburn haired fourteen year old's face. "YES! YES! O-Of course I'll be your girlfriend!" she cheerily proclaimed. The two shared a passionate kiss as time seemed to stand still. "What about Mateo though?" Courtney asked. "Well... I'm gonna let him down easy... He's still my best friend after all. I'd hate to lose what we have" the brown haired girl explained. A few moments later, they returned to where Mabel and Pacifica waited for them.

Wendy arrived home and hung her tan brimmed ranger hat on the coat rack by the door. "A little wet out there, huh?" Dipper asked as he took in the sight of his thoroughly drenched wife. "Ha Ha! We got ourselves a comedian here, don't we?" the auburn haired woman sarcastically replied while unbuttoning her work shirt. "So... You said you came across a murder scene? A-Are you alright?" Dipper asked as Wendy began to unfasten her belt. "Yeah... I'm okay. It was a pretty gnarly thing to see though..." she remarked as her olive green pants joined her shirt in a heap on the dark hardwood floor. "I couldn't even imagine..." the brown haired man remarked as he walked to the closet and retrieved a towel for his lover to dry off with. "I just hope they catch whoever did it..." Wendy remarked as she wiped her alabaster skin with the dry cloth. "It pretty messed up to run somebody off a bridge. You said that she was some sort of informant for Tambry? What line of work was she in?" Dipper asked as he scooped up the drenched uniform and carried it over to the laundry room; Wendy, who was now clad in just her tank top, panties and socks, following closely behind. "She was the Chief of Staff for Gideon..." the freckled woman explained as she wrapped her hair up in the towel. "Wow, that's a pretty important position to hold. I wonder if she made a bad deal with someone and this was their revenge?" the thirty-three year old man pondered aloud. "Could be... I dunno? Not my problem though..." Wendy said as she began to walk towards the stairs. After getting caught in the rain a few times and being soaked to the bone, all she wanted was a warm outfit consisting of a sweatpants and a hoodie while she sipped on a hot chocolate.

"It's really a shame that Mateo couldn't make it come with us..." Mabel remarked as the quartet of teen girls walked towards the exit. "Yeah... If there's one thing he really likes, it's laser-tag" Grendy remarked. She still wondered how she was going to end things with the portly teen boy. She knew that the feelings he had for her were long-held, so she felt like it would devastate him. Pacifica noticed the frown on the young woman's face and wondered what could be bringing the usually happy-go-lucky girl down. "Everything alright?" the slightly younger girl asked her friend. "No. Not really..." she replied in a sullen tone; her eyes looking down towards the well-worn purple carpet of the Fun Center. She was about to explain her feelings when she bumped into someone. "Could you watch where you're going?" a male voice replied. "S-Sorry..." Grendy apologized as she looked up to see the light blue suit clad boy. His hair was as white as an elderly person's and his short stubby nose reminded her of a pig. "You should be... I mea-" he began to berate her before Ariel showed up. "Sorry about that... My _little_ brother here is a bit hot tempered..." the fourteen year old girl cheerily remarked. "It's fine... I'm Grendy" she introduced herself to the white haired girl. "I'm Mabel!" the ginger woman shouted as she stuck out her hand; Ariel shaking it with a bit of a confused look on her face. "Cute outfit! I'm Courtney..." the fourteen year old girl replied. "I'm Pacifica... Nice to meet you..." the silver and brown haired girl said as she nervously rubbed her arm. Out of the four girls that Ariel had just met, Pacifica was the one who intrigued her the most. She wondered about her hair, eye, prosthetic arm and fresh bruise on her face. "My name is Ariel and this is my brother Baron. We just moved here from Eagle Creek a few days ago" the peppy young woman informed them. "Welcome to Gravity Falls! It was nice to meet you!" Mabel replied as the quartet walked towards the exit, where Grendy's mothers were waiting for them. Ariel pulled out her cellphone and placed a call as the rain continued to fall in the small town of Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:**

This was another chapter where I had the whole thing written out, but it just didn't seem right. So, I rewrote it again. I didn't like that one either. Third time was the charm and I'm very happy with how it turned out. Thanks again for the awesome reviews and follows! The next chapter may take a bit as it's a busy month for me, but it will be worth it. Dipper responded pretty much how we all expected him to, but after calming down, he realized that it might not be as bad as he made it out to be. Who is the mysterious person that Pacifica is seeing? Why did she choose Pacifica to watch over? How will Mateo take Grendy breaking up with him? How will Wendy react to her daughter's drastic new appearance? Just who did Ariel place a call to? Answers to all those and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

ODESZA / Naomi Wild – "High Ground"

AWOLNATION – "Handyman" (A song that reminds me of Dipper's role of trying to help Wendy through her struggles)

Welshly Arms – "Sanctuary" (A song that made me think of how the Pines find comfort in one another)

Bear Hands – "Back Seat Driver"

FIDLAR – "Alcohol"

Remember Sports – "Up From Below"

Motionless In White – "Voices"

Beck – "Dear Life"

Echosmith - "Cool Kids"

Brother Sundance - "Blind"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

 **P1). Underage Discoveries** **On** **A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel**

 **1). A Shooting Star Falls**

 **2). Echoes** **Of** **A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **4). The Dark Days** **Of** **Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **8). Birthday Weirdness** **In** **The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **9). The Gift** **Of** **Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **10). Life** **In** **Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **12). Tales** **Of** **The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**


	16. Chapter 16

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Sixteen: Burying The Truth**

Mabel and Pacifica Pines walked through the front door of their home to find their mom and dad curled up on the couch under a blanket, fast asleep. "Aww…" Mabel whispered to her twin sibling. She found it cute that despite being together for almost two decades that the married couple still had tender moments like this. "We should let them rest…" Pacifica replied as she rubbed her sore cheek; the bruise still taking shape. "Let's get some ice on that… It'll reduce the swelling" Mabel suggested as she made her way to the kitchen and opened up the freezer. After filling a plastic sandwich bag with the ice cubes, the twin sisters carefully made their way upstairs. Feeling like the change in hair and eye color would be more than enough for their mother to process, the teen girls decided to borrow some of her makeup to try and cover up the ever darkening bruise.

"I wish Mom would just let us buy some of this stuff already…" Pacifica remarked as she rifled through a box of cosmetic products on her mother's dresser. "She's afraid that we'll get the wrong kind of attention from boys…" Mabel replied as she rolled her eyes. Finding a concealer, the ginger teenager worked her magic to hide the contusion on her twin sister's face. "C'mon! She's gonna have to realize that she can't protect us forever, ya know…" Pacifica pointed out. "I just think it's because of what happened to Aunt Mabel and Aunt Pacifica… That she's just worried something could happen to us" Mabel explained. "And I totally get that… But like I said, she can't protect us forever. Just look at the fight I got in today. It was, like, eight on one and I still kicked their asses…" the silver and brown haired girl remarked. "Let's be honest sis… If you didn't have that spell in your back pocket, things could have gone really bad for you…" Mabel pointed out. "Yeah… Which is why I need to learn as many of them as I can! I mean, if I didn't have that book, I'd probably be in the hospital right now…" Pacifica replied as she took a look at herself in the mirror. Much to her relief, her sister had managed to cover up the mark without making her look like some sort of rodeo clown or whore.

Wendy awoke from her nap and noticed that the room had darkened quite a bit from when she had last closed her eyes. "How long was I out for?!" she thought to herself. Glancing over at a clock on the wall, she saw it was a little after eight in the evening. "Dip! Wake up!" she shouted as her husband groaned. "W-We've been asleep all afternoon!" the auburn haired woman once again exclaimed. "The girls should have been home hours ago! I-I wonder if they're alright!" Wendy frantically asked. Playing a video game in Pacifica's room, the pair of twins heard a commotion from downstairs and went to investigate. Much to their relief, they saw that it was only their mother, who was probably just upset that she had fallen asleep. "Mom? I-Is everything okay?" Mabel asked as she entered the living room; Pacifica staying at the top of the stairs as she tried to think of how to debut her new looks to her mother. "Yeah… Just a little angry that I slept that long…" she explained. "Is Paz here too?" the still groggy woman inquired. "Yeah… Hey Paz! Mom wants you!" the ginger teen shouted back towards the stairs. "Coming!" the blue and hazel eyed girl replied as she descended the stairs; hoping her mom wouldn't overreact to her sudden change in appearance.

Mabel flipped on a light switch, which illuminated the room with its soft white glow. Wendy took in the sight of her thirteen year old daughter; her dual toned hair the biggest shock. It reminded her of a professional wrestler she had met in Portland with Dipper when they had first gotten together. "D-Do you like it?" asked Pacifica in a very hesitant voice. "It's different… I'll give you that" her mother responded. Walking over and taking a seat on the couch, the teen girl swept her hair aside so that her mom could see her eye. The change in hue was something that took her by surprise. While Dipper had mentioned that it had changed to a blue tone, she wasn't prepared for just how jarring it was. An ice blue, it stood in stark contrast to the dark hazel one it once mirrored. "Your Dad said that you could still see fine?" the redhead asked her daughter. "Yeah… I can see just as good as I could before. It just looks a lot different" Pacifica reassured her mother as she continued to closely examine her eye. "I'm still going to schedule an appointment with the optometrist to make sure…" Wendy told the thirteen year old girl. A sense of relief came over Pacifica as she thought that her mom had taken the change relatively well.

Deciding that it was too late to cook dinner, Dipper offered to take the family out to Hermanos Brothers, the local Mexican restaurant in town. The quartet piled into Wendy's sport utility vehicle and headed towards downtown Gravity Falls as their stomachs rumbled with hunger. The heavy rain had given way to a light drizzle as they pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. "I'm gonna order, like, a hundred tacos!" Mabel proudly proclaimed as both her mother and father chuckled. After ordering their meals, the Pines family sat down at a well-worn booth. "So, how was your day?" Dipper asked the girls as they chomped away on the complementary tortilla chips. "It was fun! We ended up playing a few round of laser ta-" Pacifica began before being cut off. "And I won!" Mabel interjected as an annoyed look formed on her twin's face. "Mabel, honey, your sister was in the middle of saying something. It's rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking… Apologize to her…" Wendy chastised her excitable daughter. "Sorry Paz…" the ginger teen said. "It's fine. So anyway, we played a few rounds of laser tag and then we met some new kids…" Pacifica completed her thought. "That's cool. It's always good to meet new people…" Dipper said as their food arrived at the table.

The quartet chowed down on their meals as the clock struck nine. Usually, everyone would be in their pajamas and be getting ready for bed, but tonight was different. "So, tell me about those kids you met…" Wendy asked as she took another bite of her burrito. "Well, there was a girl named Ariel who was about our age. She was a little taller than us and had snow white hair… She was nice" Mabel replied. "You know, your Aunt Mabel's middle name was Ariel…" Dipper commented with a mouthful of food. "Her little runt of a brother was a jerk though!" Pacifica added. "Trust me, little brothers can totally be that way…" Wendy chimed in; knowing all too well what being the older sister was like. "The boy was short, a little pudgy, had a nose like a pig and had tall white hair… I could smell the hairspray on him before I even saw him…" Mabel said. "Gideon!?" Dipper and Wendy said in unison as they wondered if the similarities in appearance were just that. Surely Gideon Gleeful wasn't the father to a pair of teenagers. The mere thought of it brought both Wendy and Dipper to the edge of hysterical laughter.

"Gideon? Who's that?" Pacifica asked as she took a bite of her steak quesadilla. "He's someone from our past. He had a huge crush on your Aunt Mabel and went to insane lengths to try and win her over" Dipper explained. "Aww… That sounds romantic…" Mabel swooned. "No. Not at all. When she finally worked up the courage to turn him down, he was convinced that I told her to and he tried to kill me with the help of a magic amulet. Mabel saved me by using it herself and then destroying it, but Gideon went off the deep end. He wanted nothing more than to ruin my life and convince Mabel that were meant to be together" Dipper clarified. "Yeah, he was the one who summoned Bill in the first place with one of the journals. If he had just accepted the fact that your Aunt Mabel wasn't into him as anything other than a friend, then maybe we would have never had to go through all that shit. Instead, he almost brought about the end of the world" Wendy added while looking across the booth at her daughters. "You don't think…?" the thirty-three year old man asked his wife with a concerned look on his face. "Dip, this is Gideon freakin' Gleeful we're talking about… Do you really think any human woman would even want to procreate with him?!" the ginger woman chuckled; bits of her food flying out of her mouth as she did so. "I've learned that anything is possible in Gravity Falls… Even really hard to believe things like that" Dipper replied.

The Pines family finished their meal and headed back to the car. While Mabel, Pacifica and Dipper got in, Wendy caught sight of something in the distance and began to walk towards a large truck that was parked across the street. The rain soaked road glistened in the light of the streetlamps that lined it. "Where's mom going?" Pacifica asked as she turned around to look out the back window of the sport utility vehicle. "I'm not sure, but I think she saw something that piqued her interest" he suggested. Indeed it had, as the auburn haired woman had taken note of the damage inflicted upon the large ram bar on the front of the truck. Pulling out her phone, she began to take pictures of the scratched and bent accessory. "Can I help you?" a gruff voice asked from the far side of the vehicle. "Uh… Yeah! Yes you can!" Wendy replied as she thought of how to explain what she was doing. "I-I was wondering where you got this sweet ram bar from. M-My husband has been wanting one of these for his truck and his birthday is coming up, so I figured I'd surprise him… Yeah!" she lied to the physically imposing man as she hoped he had fallen for it. "Oh… Well, I got this down in Texas a few years ago at a swap meet. It looked a lot better when it was brand new though…" he commented. "Oh, okay! Well, it was worth a shot. Thanks anyway…" Wendy said as she began to walk away.

The much smaller woman felt a large hand on her shoulder and turned around. Dipper looked on from the sport utility vehicle, seeing red as another man put their hands on his wife. "Wanna go for a ride?" the nearly seven foot tall man asked in a flirtatious manner. The ginger woman wondered how much he had to drink. "I'm sorry, but I'm a married woman…" Wendy politely declined as she shook her shoulder free of his grasp. "So? I won't tell if you don't…" the man replied as he once again placed his baseball glove-like hand on her petite shoulder. "No thanks!" she curtly replied. Dipper began to open his door, having seen enough of the advances on his wife. "Kick his ass, Dad!" Pacifica cheered. "I wasn't asking…" the tattooed man growled as he spun the former officer around and shoved her into the side of his truck. Thinking quickly, Wendy swiftly kicked the man in his groin with her black and white skate shoe, followed by a jab to his throat. Dipper sprinted across the street as he heard the commotion. Wendy had managed to judo toss the much larger man to the concrete sidewalk and lock on a vicious armbar while he grimaced in pain.

"Wen! Everything alright?!" Dipper asked with alarm as he rounded the vehicle to see his wife wrenching on the large appendage of the rough looking man. " **TAP! TAP!** C'mon you stupid son of a bitch! Stop resisting or I'll break it!" she shouted to the aggressive man. " **NO!** " the much larger man replied in a defiant manner. "Fine, have it your way…" the redhead said before torqueing the arm back even harder. A loud snap was heard and Wendy finally let go of the maneuver. A police officer happened to be driving by and noticed the commotion outside of Skullcrusher's Bar. While not unusual for the dive bar, he felt it a bit too early for a patron to have gotten so rowdy. Pulling over, he exited his vehicle and saw the large tattooed man passed out on the sidewalk. "Everything alright here?" the uniformed man asked. "Yeah… Big fella here just had one too many and fell down… Looks like he tried to catch himself and broke his arm" Wendy explained. "Okay, I'll call a med unit. You two are free to go. Have a good night" the officer said before reaching for his radio. He knew full well what had really went down, but the man was a well-known nuisance to law enforcement in three counties, so he decided to let the actions of the woman slide. Wendy and Dipper walked back to their car as the adrenaline pulsed through her veins. It had been a while since she had been involved in a scuffle and she was relieved to know that she still had it. " **HOLY CRAP!** That was amazing, Mom!" Pacifica cheered as her parents got back into the sport utility. "When I was on the Force that was just another Friday night for me…" Wendy replied as a smirk appeared on her face. "Just one of the many reasons I fell in love with her… She's a total badass" Dipper commented as they made their way back home; their daughters having yet another reason to look up to their mother.

Wendy and Dipper passed out on the couch while watching a late night show and the girls had retreated to their rooms for the evening. Mabel soon fell fast asleep, but Pacifica had stayed up to once again examine the spellbook. Looking at the levitation spell, she wondered how it could pack the punch it had in the bathroom earlier that day. Succumbing to her weariness, the girl with the dual hued mane soon fell fast asleep. She opened her eyes to find herself in a clearing in the middle of the forest. The woman in the tattered and blood-stained wedding dress stood in front of her once more. "How's your face, young one?" the otherworldly lady asked. "It hurts, but I'll survive. I… I don't know what you did, but I know for a fact that I can't cast a spell that strong…" Pacifica remarked while rubbing her cheek, which much to her surprise, didn't hurt a bit. "Very observant, Pine Tree. I may have lent a helping hand in that moment" the dark haired spirit said. "Why?" the girl with dual-hued hair asked. "Because… You were not the only one who needed help. You see, I am bound to this vessel until someone can free me. Pacifica, dear, would you please set me free? It's quite horrible being trapped in a rotting corpse" the woman said with a frown on her face. Pacifica felt her heartstrings being pulled at, but remained skeptical of the specter, as she had just heard of how Bill Cipher had tricked her Grand Uncle Ford into freeing him from the mindscape. Still, she felt as though she owed her for saving her from a terrible beating at the hands of those teenagers. She was conflicted, but in the end decided to help her out. "Okay… But what happens if I do?" Pacifica responded. "I'll be free from this vessel and return to the mindscape. You'll probably never see me again" was the reply from the dark haired woman. "Alright. As soon as I wake up, I'll read the spell and set you free" the blue and hazel eyed girl said. "I cannot begin to thank you enough for agreeing to do this. I can finally be at peace…" the woman remarked as the world faded to black.

A moment later, Pacifica awoke from her dream. Once again in her room, she glanced over at the alarm clock next to her bed; finding it to be nearly four in the morning. Flipping the yellowed pages of the large book, she soon found the spell she was looking for and began to recite it aloud. The spirit appeared in the room as the temperature dropped; Pacifica able to see her breath as she continued to read the incantation aloud. The wedding dress clad woman began to glow and soon she was separated from her former physical form. Much to Pacifica's shock, the spell left behind the actual body of the woman she formerly inhabited, which gave off a putrid smell. "Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" Pacifica said to herself as she tried her best not to vomit at the scent of the rotten corpse that now occupied her bedroom. Fear filled her mind as she knew it was only a matter of time before somebody else would notice and thought of how to either conceal or remove it from the house. Leaving her bedroom, she walked to a small linen closet across the hall and removed a linen sheet from it. Mabel had awoken to use the bathroom and spied her twin wrestling with the piece of bedding in the hallway. "What in the world is she doing up at this hour?" the redhead thought to herself as she approached the frazzled teen. "Everything okay sis-sis?" Mabel inquired in a soft tone so that she wouldn't startle her. "Uh… No. Not really. I-I could really use your help" she meekly replied. "Hey… It's okay. Accidents happen…" she tried to reassure her sister, having though that she had some sort of mishap while sleeping.

Pacifica opened the door to her bedroom and the smell hit them both like a ton of bricks. "D-Did you shi-" the ginger teen asked her twin before being cut off. "NO! I didn't! It's the body of a spirit I freed…" she explained. "Okay… First of all… Ghosts have bodies?" Mabel asked with confusion. "No. She inhabited this woman's body when they passed away and got stuck in it, I guess … I dunno. What I do know, though, is it smells like death barfed shit!" the silver and brown haired girl replied. "Pacifica Kathleen Pines! Language! But yeah… It really does smell like that…" Mabel commented as she looked at the grizzly scene before her. The pair soon rolled the body up in the blanket, which thankfully masked the smell somewhat. "Okay… So now what?" Mabel wondered. The body weighed about one hundred pounds and both girls knew that it would be hard to sneak it through the house without one of their parents noticing. Pacifica walked over to her window and glanced down. A wheelbarrow sat under it and soon a plan began to formulate in her head. "I've got it! We'll chuck it out the window and into that wheelbarrow. Then we'll go bury it in the woods! Yeah! That'll work!" she explained to her sister. A few moments later, the pair had opened the window and lifted the corpse onto the windowsill. "Bombs away!" Mabel shouted with cheer as the white blanket wrapped body of the ghost fell out the window. Pacifica shot her a look of disbelief. "What?! I've always wanted to say that!" she replied. With a loud thud, it landed in metal tub and a look of relief came over both Mabel and Pacifica's faces when, after a few minutes, they hadn't heard any sort of commotion from their parents room.

The Pines sisters carefully made their way outside and each grabbed a shovel. "This seems so wrong…" Mabel commented as her sister picked up the wheelbarrow and began towards the woods. "It's not like we killed her or anything… She's been dead for, like, two hundred years or something!" Pacifica explained. "Why was there even a ghost in your room?" a curious Mabel asked as they neared their destination. "She showed up last night and then again when I was getting beat down in the bathroom… She said that all she wanted from me was to help set her free from this body. She knew I had the book and that I was the only one that could do that for her" the hazel and blue eyed teen nonchalantly explained. "Okay… But what if she was trapped in that body for a reason?" Mabel replied. "What are you getting at, sis?" Pacifica retorted while cocking an eye at her twin. "Well, it's just that… What if whatever you released is like that Bill Cipher dude?" the brunette pointed out. Pacifica stopped dead in her tracks. She hadn't even considered that the spirit may have been purposely imprisoned inside the body of whoever the blanket wrapped woman was. "I… I don't think she was. If she was evil, then why would she help me? Relax! You overthink about stuff way too much" Pacifica said as she tried to defend her actions; Mabel clearly irritated by her insult. "Well, _geez_ … I dunno? Maybe to trick you into feeling that she was trustworthy so that you would free her?" Mabel pointed out to her sister. "Look. What's done is done. Let's stop arguing and get this body buried so I can get back to sleep, alright?" Pacifica said as she tried to get her sister back on task. " _Fine_. _Whatever_. But if this comes back to bite us in the ass, don't get all butt hurt when I say that I told you so…" Mabel relented with a huff. The girls arrived at the top of a small hill and began digging a grave for the body. "How deep does it need to be?" Mabel asked her sister as she stopped to wipe the sweat from her brow. "I always thought it was six feet… But that seems like a lot of work…" Pacifica replied. "Yeah… Plus we have to get back before Mom leaves for work…" her auburn haired sister pointed out while pulling out her phone to see what time it was. A few minutes later, the deed was done and the twin girls headed back towards home; the sky lightening up as dawn quickly approached. Ditching the lawn and garden equipment on the side of the house, the pair snuck back into the two story home. The dirty and weary teenage girls retreated to their bedrooms, where they hoped to get at least a few hours of rest before what was sure to be yet another busy day in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, I suppose that I owe a bit of an explanation here. As some may know, I posted the final chapter in this story a few days ago and to say that I was not happy with it was an understatement. It was rushed and made little sense in the grand scheme of things. Honestly, I was just looking for an end to it. Going back and re-reading not only this story, but all of the stories in the Shooting Star Falls AU, I saw that this is was the place where the story started going off the rails. The narrative was more chapter to chapter and was being influenced by outside forces in my life. The free time I had to write was greatly reduced and I felt that I had to keep cranking out chapters at the pace I had been. That is where I went wrong. The quality suffered. This is going to serve as a reboot of sorts for this last story in the series. I hope I get it right this time. It may take a lot more time and there may not be an update for a month or two at a time, but I promise that they'll be worth it when you read them and will lead to a much more satisfying conclusion.

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Young Guns – "Bones"

Godsmack – "Legends Rise"

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – "Devil Inside Of Me" (I think this song summarizes how Pacifica feels about the crimson bride following her everywhere)

Starset – "Monster" (A song that I think tells the story of Pacifica buying into what the Crimson Bride is selling)

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

P1). Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

1). A Shooting Star Falls

2). Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

4). The Dark Days Of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

8). Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

9). The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

10). Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

12). Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	17. Chapter 17

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Seventeen: How To Talk To Strangers**

A week had passed since Mabel and Pacifica had buried a rotting corpse in the woods and the twin sisters were looking for any sort of distraction to take their minds off of the slightly disturbing act they had partaken in. Luckily for them, they had just received word from Courtney that one of their classmates was hosting a house party that weekend. "A party?! Count me in!" Mabel gleefully cheered as she reread the message from her cousin. Her enthusiasm was not mirrored by Pacifica. For one, she hadn't seen most of the kids from school since the last day of classes and she wondered how much they would obsess over her new look. Still, she realized that it was an opportunity to have a bit of fun and didn't want to be a buzzkill. "I guess I'll go…" the brunette and silver haired girl relented. "C'mon Paz! Don't be like that… It'll be a blast! Good music, tasty food and _tons of cute boys_ …" Mabel pointed out. "Cute boys? You're right. Maybe it won't be so bad…" Pacifica agreed. Another text tone went off on Mabel's phone and her smile grew a little larger. "So… Get this. They have a huge pool!" the redhead said with excitement. " _Nice_. Tunes, food and shirtless guys… What's not to love about that?" her sister remarked while looking up from her tablet as she began to share her sister's enthusiasm for the event.

Later that afternoon, Mabel, Pacifica, Grendy and Courtney had met up at the Gravity Falls Mall to find some new looks for the party. While Mabel had quickly settled on a sky blue two piece bikini she had been looking at online, Pacifica wasn't quite sure what to get. She had wanted something a bit more conservative than her sister had chosen, but still fashionable. In the end, she decided to get a pair of short black boardshorts with bright pink accents and a matching bright pink short sleeved rashguard shirt. Grendy chose a red one piece and Courtney a green flannel patterned bikini. After leaving the store, the girls decided to grab a bite to eat at the food court. The quartet wondered who would show up to the party and what their summers had been like. Courtney was a bit apprehensive; as it would be the first time that many would find out she was in a relationship with Grendy. Her girlfriend could sense that something was troubling the ginger fifteen year old. She reached her hand across the table and took the well-manicured digits into her own. Words weren't needed, as Courtney knew exactly why her partner had done what she did. It was just one of the many reasons she had caught feelings for the slightly awkward girl. While Pacifica, Courtney and Grendy had begun discussing the latest episode of the quartet's favorite television show, Mabel was much more interested in something else on the far side of the room. "What do you think, Mabes?" Grendy asked her friend. "Huh? Sorry. What did you ask?" the confused teenager replied as her focus returned to the girls seated at the table. "I said, what do you think of Becky seeing Jim behind Kevin's back? Wasn't that such a shock?!" the soft spoken girl reiterated. "Yeah. Totally…" Mabel replied in a completely disinterested tone. "What's up, sis?" Pacifica asked while turning her attention to what her twin sibling was looking at. She saw a girl sitting alone at a table on the other side of the food court and immediately recognized her as Ariel. "She just looks so lonely. It must be tough being new in town…" the redhead stated. "Well then… Let's go see if she wants some company" the dual hue locked teenager said as she rose from her seat. The three other girls got up as well and followed Pacifica to the other side of the room.

Ariel Gleeful had gone to the mall to find a new pair of sneakers, as the shoes she was wearing weren't the most comfortable on her feet. It was almost as if someone who had no idea how it was to be a woman had chosen the footwear for her. She had worked up quite the appetite walking around the two story shopping center and decided to grab a bite to eat. It was nice to be on her own for once, as it felt as though her younger brother was akin to her shadow most of the time. The white haired teenager had just finished her California rolls when a foursome of fellow girls took a seat at her table. "Hi! Ariel, right?" Pacifica asked as she looked into the sapphire eyes of the young woman. "Yeah. Y-You're those girls from the laser tag place, aren't you?" Ariel replied. "We sure are. So, how do you like Gravity Falls so far?" Mabel inquired. "It's alright, I guess. Still getting to know the place, you know?" the somewhat shy girl answered. "Well… I think we can help out with that. Wanna go to a party this Saturday? Most of the kids from school will be there" Courtney asked. "Oh gosh… I-I don't think father would approve of me going to a party" the silver haired girl replied. "Just tell him that you're coming over to my place for a sleepover with us girls… What he doesn't know won't hurt him. _Right?_ " the green eyed girl suggested while placing her hand on the shoulder of the unsure teen. "I'm not sure that I could ever deceive my father like that. It doesn't seem right… _But_ , I do want to get to meet new people and have some fun…" Ariel thought aloud. "Exactly. It's just a harmless white lie. I tell 'em to my folks all the time. Trust me, you're gonna regret it if you skip this party. It's gonna be all that everyone is talking about when we go back to school in the fall…" Courtney added. "Yeah… It'll be fun! You'll get to know everyone before the school year starts!" Grendy said as she tried to win the girl over. "It's up to you. If you don't wanna go, then that's alright. We just figured that we'd ask since you're new and all…" Mabel chimed in.

The white maned young woman shifted in her seat a bit as she internally debated whether to attend the party or not. On the one hand, the girls were right that it would help her make friends and get to know everyone before the school year started. On the other hand, she knew that her father hated people who lied to him and worried that he could find out. She shuddered to think of what he could do if that happened. " _Cmon… You know you know you wanna_ " a voice in her head said. Ariel had never heard it before and wondered where it had come from. In the end, she decided that the risk was worth it and that she'd go have a good time at the party. "Guys… I think I'll take you up on your offer" the well-spoken fifteen year old finally replied. "Cool! We are gonna have so much fun!" Mabel exclaimed while wrapping her arms around the torso of the seated girl. "Oh… One more thing, Ariel. It's a pool party, so don't forget to wear a swimsuit!" Courtney added. After exchanging contact info with Ariel, the girls headed back to their table. "A pool party? What the heck have I gotten myself into?!" Ariel thought to herself as she got up from the table and headed off in search of not only a pair of sneakers, but now a new swimsuit as well. She thought about how to explain the additional purchase to her parents, but decided to take a page out of Courtney Corduroy's playbook by tell a small fib about how she wanted to go the lake. She figured that since she hardly ever lied to her parents that they wouldn't think twice about her explanation, as it was perfectly rational. Part of the repressed young woman was excited to attend an unsupervised get together, as it would allow her to discover just who she was as a person. She felt almost as if she had been programmed to act a certain way and was determined to prove those thoughts wrong. The voice in her head agreed.

"Do you really think she'll show up?" Grendy asked her girlfriend. "For her sake, I sure as hell hope so" the redhead remarked while continuing to play a game on her phone. "What do you mean by that?" Mabel inquired. "I've seen her type before; a miss goody two-shoes who hasn't lived a day in her life because she doesn't wanna upset her parents. The most exciting thing she's probably experienced this summer was a few extra raisins in her bran one morning. She needs this. Trust me" Courtney explained to her friends. Courtney spoke from experience on the matter, for she had once been just like Ariel. She often wondered what she had missed out on by constantly trying to be everything her parents wanted her to be, but decided a few years prior to make up for lost time. Sure, the other girls in her grade saw her as a bit of a bad influence who made some pretty poor choices on occasion, but Courtney couldn't care less what they thought about her because she was too busy having fun. "My parents did mention something about her father being a bit of a weird person, but who in this town isn't?" Mabel said. "Not me. Not one bit. As normal as you can be…" Pacifica joked, which elicited a round of laughter from the group. She had learned to own the fact that she was unlike anyone else in town. Whether it be her prosthetic arm or now her change in the color of her hair and eyes, she knew that as long as she was happy with herself, then it really didn't matter what others thought about her. Sure, she was a bit apprehensive of what the kids from school would say at the party, but she was determined to not let it dictate how her night would go. For all she knew, it could be a huge hit with them, so why obsess and worry about something that might not even be an issue in the first place.

The night of the party had arrived and the girls had carefully crafted their alibies for the evening. It was decided that they would all say they were spending the night at Ariel's, in an attempt to make friends with the newcomer. As predicted, their parents didn't think twice about it. Ariel, on the other hand, had been thoroughly interrogated about why she was spending the night at a strangers house by her father; having stated that Courtney had invited her to join her friends for a sleepover at her place. Jennifer, along with the prompts that the voice in her head had given her were able to help the white haired girl win over the legislator in the end. All packed up, she headed out to the address that Courtney had texted her earlier in the day. It was about three miles away from the Gleeful home, which was a short bike ride for the fifteen year old girl. Turning onto the street just as the sun had set, she heard the loud music coming from the large house at the end of it. She wondered if she should continue heading towards it, but pushed her doubts aside and arrived at the unassuming three story home. Cars were parked outside along the curb and a few teenagers loitered in the front yard, where a few beer cans already decorated the well-manicured lawn. She had chosen a simple outfit of jeans and a plain pink t-shirt; her swimsuit concealed underneath. Ariel's phone buzzed in her rear pocket and she removed it to see a message from Courtney Corduroy. " _U here yet? We're out back on the deck_ " the text read. Her fingers soon began to type a reply to her new friend. " _Yeah. Just got here. See you in minute_ " it stated. As the white haired girl made her way through the throng of hormonal teenagers, she wondered what the night held for her.

True to her word, Courtney was out on the wooden deck that overlooked the pool below. Joining her were Grendy, Mabel and Pacifica, who were all taking in the people around them. "Sorry I'm a little late… It took some convincing by my mother and me to get father to allow me to leave the house" the fifteen year old girl explained. "It's cool" Courtney replied. "Okay, so now that you're here, I suggest we go get some refreshments…" Pacifica said. "Yeah, that does sound good" Ariel agreed; having worked up quite the thirst on her bike ride over to the party. A few moments later, the quintet stood in the kitchen. Mabel and Pacifica decided to have a Boors Light from the fridge, while Courtney poured equal parts vodka and lemon-lime soda into a plastic cup. Grendy followed her crush's lead and made herself the same concoction, save for the fact that it consisted more of soda then the clear liquor. "Uh… Guys… I've… I mean…" Ariel began to stutter as she thought about how to explain that she had never consumed a drop of alcohol before. "Let me guess… First time with booze? You sweet child of summer… You're adorable!" Courtney remarked before taking a big gulp of her drink. "Yeah. I know… I'm a total loser, aren't I?" the white haired teen replied. "Nah. From what little you've said, it seems like your family is pretty strict. Doesn't surprise me in the least. The good thing is…" Courtney paused while taking another big swig of her drink. "We can totally fix that for ya…" the ginger fifteen year old finished. A smile grew on her face while the gears began to turn in her head.

"Okay… So what we're gonna do here is a little taste test for you…" Courtney said as she lined up a few plastic shot glasses on the countertop. She first grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured a small amount into the container. Next was some spiced rum, followed by whiskey and gin. The auburn haired fifteen year old then grabbed the beer that Pacifica had been drinking from her cousin's hand and poured a little into the final shot glass. Looking at the lineup of shot glasses, the apprehension grew inside of Ariel. " _It'll be fun. You want to fit in, don't you?_ " the voice in the white maned teenager's head added. Pushing aside her worries, she picked up the first shot glass and placed it to her light pink lips. Closing her eyes, she tipped the cup back and swallowed its contents. The burning sensation soon hit her taste buds and she scrunched up her face. "What do you think?" asked a curious Grendy. "It tastes like watered down nail polish remover!" the white haired girl remarked as she desperately reached for a cup of lemon-lime soda Courtney had also poured for her as a chaser. Her description caused the girls to break out in laughter. "Maybe you'll like the next one better?" Mabel chimed in before taking another sip of her beer. Deciding that it was better just to power through and get it over with as quickly as she could, Ariel reached for the second shot glass that contained an amber colored liquid. She held the cup up to her lips and hoped to herself that this one would be a little more pleasant tasting than the previous one. Swallowing it, she once again felt the burning feeling in her mouth and throat, but also tasted caramel and cinnamon. "That was a little bit better…" Ariel commented before taking another large gulp of the cola to clear her taste buds. Next up was the whiskey, which she described as tasting like furniture polish. The gin reminded her of the vodka, except that she sensed a hint of floral taste in it. The glass with beer in it was the end of the gauntlet and the young woman had already begun to feel the effects of alcohol she had previously consumed. Her head felt a bit lighter and her alabaster skin began to take on a warm, red hue. "She's feelin' it…" Courtney said with a chuckle as she watched their new friend quickly down the beer. Much to Ariel's surprise, she liked it the best, as it reminded her of a seltzer.

Opting to go with a rum and cola, Ariel and the girls returned to the deck, where they watched a few kids jump into the pool. Pacifica immediately noticed her sister checking out a teenage boy on the diving board. "Like what you see?" the silver and brown haired girl asked. " _Oh yeah_ … _Mama want_ …" Mabel replied with a look of lust in her hazel eyes. "Then what are you waiting for? Go up and talk to him before some other chick gets his attention" Pacifica said as she tried to encourage her twin to act upon her feelings. The auburn haired girl knew her sister was right. Placing her beer on the wooden railing of the deck, she pulled her tank top over her head and revealed her bikini top. A moment later, she unfastened her denim shorts and let them fall to the deck below. Although she had chosen a fairly common bikini style, Mabel began to wonder if it revealed too much of her body. Grendy could sense the uncertain feeling her friend was wrestling with and decided to give her a bit of an ego boost. "Wow! That suit looks even better on you then it did in the mall!" the gangly girl remarked. "Y-You really think so?" a somewhat shocked Mabel replied. "Totally. It's super cute on you" the usually reserved girl continued. The rest of the girls agreed as they too began to remove the clothes that covered up their swimsuits. "Well… Here goes nothing…" Mabel said before picking up her half full can of beer and chugging it. "You got this, sis!" Pacifica said as she watched the bikini clad girl head down to the pool area.

Full of alcohol and confidence, Mabel Pines made her way down to the pool, where the boy she had become enamored with had just begun to dry off. "Hey, Shaun!" she cheerily shouted to him. Her sudden appearance startled the young man and he nearly fell backwards over the lounge chair he had set up. " **OHMYGOSH!** I'm _**SO**_ sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Mabel quickly apologized to him. Although he had almost hurt himself, Shaun saw the humor in it and chuckled as he shot the girl a friendly smile. "Ja, Nee… I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting you was all…" the sandy haired boy replied as he continued to dry himself with a tan beach towel. She knew he had grown up in South Africa and his accent did nothing to curb her attraction to the second striker of the GFHS soccer team. "I sure hope this jol picks up a bit though. Bit of a sleeper so far, huh?" he asked the attractive girl from his math class. "I know, right? Maybe when the sun goes down things will pick up…" Mabel commented. "Hopefully. They said this was gonna be the most kiff party of the summer. I skipped a family holiday to New York for crying out loud…" Shaun said. "Wanna go grab a drink?" the auburn haired girl asked in a hopeful tone. "Sure. Just let me grab my plakkies!" he replied. Although she had no idea what those were, she was happy that he had agreed to hang out with her. Shaun couldn't help but take a long look at the girl who had approached him. He had always liked the outgoing girl, but thought she was out of his league. Now, he was about to go grab a drink with the attractive ginger girl. Shaun tried his best to hide his feelings as the pair set off towards the stairs.

Pacifica watched as her sister and Shaun walked past. She was glad that she could help her sister out, but now turned her focus to finding a guy for herself. She had made a vow to herself that this would be the summer she would learn what true love felt like. Now all she had to do was find a boy who could overlook her odd appearance and see her for who she was on the inside. Taking off her light grey sweatpants, she made her way down towards the pool, where a teenage girl with dark black hair had begun to play some pop music from her DJ booth. Pacifica had met her in passing a couple times throughout the schoolyear and tried to remember her name. She thought it may be Ingrid or Isla, but wasn't one hundred percent sure. The young woman made her way to the back of the crowd that had formed in front of the cabana and recognized a girl from her science class. "Hey Adrienne!" she greeted the mocha skinned teen. "Oh! Hey Pacifica! Love what you've done with your hair!" she shouted over the loud music. "Thanks! Hey… Have you seen Trey anywhere?" she asked the shorter girl. Although they rarely talked, Adrienne knew that she harbored a huge crush on the blonde boy. Trey usually kept to himself and didn't really stand out from the crowd, so she wondered what the girl with the dual hued mane saw in him. "Nah, I haven't. I was talking to Ashley earlier though and she mentioned that she had seen him with his friends…" the teen said in a softer tone as the tracks transitioned. "Okay. Thanks anyway!" Pacifica shouted as the hard hitting beats of an EDM song now began to blare over the speakers. She was determined to find him before the night was out and admit her feelings once and for all. She took a swig out of her silver beer can as the sun fell behind the trees on a summer evening in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** Okay, so as many of you know by now, I completely blew up this story. I wasn't happy with where it had gone and decided to take the bold step of rebooting it. I have decided to let some characters play bigger roles this time around and also to dial back the darker tones a bit, as they started to not really fit in with my previous stories. For long term readers, don't worry though. It will still be rough and gritty, but embrace a bit more of what made Gravity Falls what it was. The Magic Killers will still be the big baddies in all of this, but their motivations have totally changed from the first go around. Now that I've done some housekeeping, let's get on with my usual notes section. What is up with the voice that Ariel is hearing in her head? Will she always take its council or will she resist the urge to give in to her deeper desires? How will Grendy and Courtney be received at the party? Will any of our heroes make a mistake that could wind up changing the course of their lives forever? Stay tuned for the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story!

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

The Black Keys – "Go" (If this were a screenplay for a show, I'd use this song throughout this chapter as it captures the vibe of the party)

The Heavy – "Miss California"

Godsmack – "Under Your Scars"

Beck – "Gamma Ray"

Beck – "E-Pro"

Oliver Tree – "Miracle Man"

Morgxn – "A New Way"

Death Cab For Cutie – "Crooked Teeth"

Run River North – "Wake Up"

Cold War Kids – "Complainer"

Twin XL – "Good"

Demi Lovato – "Cool For The Summer"

Absofacto – "Dissolve"

BONES UK – "Pretty Waste" (The song I picture playing as the friends dance in the living room)

Katy Perry – "Never Really Over"

Kelsea Ballerini – "Miss Me More"

Kygo / Whitney Houston – "Higher Love"

Galantis & Yellow Claw – "We Can Get High"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

P1). Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

1). A Shooting Star Falls

2). Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

4). The Dark Days Of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

8). Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

9). The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

10). Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

12). Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	18. Chapter 18

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Eighteen: How To Befriend, Love & Freefall**

Pacifica continued to search for the boy she harbored feelings for as the sun set on yet another summer evening. She had almost given up hope when she spied one of his good friends standing beside the pool. "Cool party, huh?" the brown and silver haired girl remarked as she tried to break the ice with the somewhat shorter teenage boy. "It's alright…" he replied before taking a swig of whatever elixir resided in his red plastic cup. "Have you seen Trey anywhere?" Pacifica asked; hopeful that this would be the lead she needed to locate the sandy haired fifteen year old. "Yeah. He was here just a second ago…" the boy said. "Any idea where he went?" she continued. "He went to take a leak. Beer… You only rent it… Am I right?!" he said with a chuckle. "Ha, Ha… _Yeah..._ " she begrudgingly agreed. Heading back towards the house, she caught a glimpse of Grendy and Courtney dancing to an upbeat pop song. She felt happy that the couple could cut loose and have a bit of fun. Grendy had forgone wearing her protective mask for the night, as she thought the risk of reinjuring her nose was pretty low and didn't want to have to explain it every five minutes. She recalled how her sister had offered to decorate it for the party and how Grendy had politely declined the kind gesture.

A few moments later, the hazel and sapphire eyed girl had made it to the kitchen, where a few girls were hanging out around a keg. "Hey Pacifica!" a petite blonde shouted in a somewhat slurred voice. She gave her a shy wave and a small smile to the group of girls. The upperclassmen motioned for her to come over and join them. She was shocked that they knew her name and could only wonder what they wanted. "So… You're, like, a sophomore this year, right?" a taller brunette said; her breath reeking of bottom shelf rum. "Uh… Yeah" Pacifica replied. "You got a boyfriend yet?" the blonde inquired with a slight chuckle. "Nah… Maybe by the end of the summer though…" the younger girl answered in an optimistic tone. "Cool, cool… Trying something new with your hair?" another girl asked. "Yeah. I felt like just having plain brown hair was kinda boring… Ya know?" the young woman fibbed. "Here! Drink this!" another girl chimed in as she practically shoved a shot glass in the face of the fifteen year old. "Oh… I really don't drink liquor…" Pacifica said in a hesitant voice. "You'll love it! Just throw it back!" the brunette said with a sly smile. Letting out a sigh, the sapphire and hazel eyed girl grabbed the miniature glass and took the shot. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but felt the burning sensation right away. "Ugh! You're right! I love it!" Pacifica struggled to say as she fought back the urge to vomit. "So, have you asked him yet?" the blonde asked the younger girl. "Asked who?" Pacifica shot back. "Uh, duh… Trey" the upperclassman quickly replied. The noise, crowd and pretty much the entire world faded into the background as Pacifica wondered how they had known about her crush.

"H-How do you know?" Pacifica inquired; her cheeks beginning to turn a bright pink as embarrassment came over her. "It's pretty obvious… We've all seen the way you look at him" the blonde remarked. "Yeah… And you turn into a total klutz anytime you're breathing the same air as him. No offense…" the dark haired junior added. Pacifica had no idea that she had been so closely watched by the group of upperclassmen. She wondered why they would even pay her the least bit of attention. In her mind, she wasn't anything special; just a girl with a prosthetic arm who was on the track and field team. That was when it clicked. She and the girls had ridden the late bus home from school practically every single day, as did Trey. He was on the wrestling team and the girls were varsity cheerleaders. They had to have seen her cringe-worthy attempts to get to know the dirty blonde haired boy. She only wondered why they had taken an interest in her personal affairs all of a sudden. "You should just walk right up to him and tell him how you feel. Life is short…" the blonde sixteen year old girl remarked. "You really think so?" a skeptical Pacifica replied. "Oh yeah… Totally! My cousin had this gigantic crush on this guy in her world history class. I told her to do the same thing…" the junior began. "And how'd it turn out?" the hazel and sapphire eyed girl asked. "Well… She kept putting it off. Then, while on her way over to his house, she was killed in a freak accident" the young woman said as a somewhat sullen look came over her. "Oh my… I-I'm so sorry…" Pacifica said in a shocked tone. "It was one of those things that nobody could have seen coming. This guy was mowing his yard, ran over some beer cans that someone had thrown onto it the night before and the pieces flew out and hit her. The doctors say it was like she was hit point blank with a shotgun. My point is that life is short and you should go tell him before something happens to you" the blonde finished as she have the younger girl a hug.

Pacifica thought about what the cheerleader had told her. She was right. Life was indeed short. "Here… Take another shot and go find him!" the brunette said. "I love this hoe!" the dark haired girl shouted in a slurred voice. Pacifica could tell that she had crossed the line from being buzzed like the rest of her friends to being flat out drunk. The fifteen year old downed the shot and looked at the trio of girls. "GO! GO!" the blonde said in cheery tone. "Yes, honey! Get it!" the dark haired girl shouted as Pacifica walked away; the young woman looking over her shoulder to see that the girls were watching very intently. Suddenly she felt herself collide with something and was knocked to the hardwood floor below; her head bouncing off the unforgiving surface like a basketball. Pacifica Pines was knocked out instantly by the blow. An audible gasp came from the trio of tipsy teen girls who had just talked to her and soon a crowd formed around the young woman. Mabel and Shaun had been out on the deck when they heard a commotion come from inside the home. "Ugh, let me guess… A fight?" the redhead said before taking one final swig of her beer. "Nah… Too calm for that. Maybe somebody passed out or something…" the laid back teenager replied. "Welp, as long as it's not in the way of me getting another beer, then it's all good…" Mabel remarked. "Yeah, I could use another as well…" Shaun agreed as the pair made their way back into the kitchen.

Pacifica's eyes fluttered open and she noticed a crowd had formed around her. "Ugh… W-What happened?" the confused young woman asked groggily. "Shh… Just relax. It's gonna be alright…" a familiar male voice said in a soothing tone. It belonged to Trey. "PAZ!" the voice of her twin sister called out as she spied her twin lying on the wooden floor. Pacifica opened her eyes once again to see that both Trey and Mabel had knelt beside her. "What happened?!" her sister asked the student athlete in a worried tone. "We bumped into each other and she fell down. She hit her head pretty bad…" he answered while applying a cool hand towel to the forehead of the injured teen girl. "How long was she out?" Mabel inquired while taking hold of Pacifica's hand. "Only a few moments, but it's not good anytime you lose consciousness… Trust me, I speak from experience…" the dirty blonde haired boy added. "Okay… So we should probably call an ambulance or something, right?" Mabel asked. "Normally, I'd say yeah, but if the EMT's come out here, then the police won't be far behind. I don't know about you, but I'd rather keep everyone here where they're safe than have them drunkenly scurry off in a thousand directions…" Trey pointed out. "So… What about Paz then?" the ginger teenager thought aloud. "I'll take her to one of the bedrooms and keep an eye on her. If anything changes for the worse, I'll call for help" he replied. "Keep having fun, sis… I promise I'll be okay. I've got Dr. Trey to look out for me…" Pacifica said with a smirk as she realized that she'd get exactly what she had wanted all along. Sure, she had wanted to go about it a different way, but it was still time alone with the boy she harbored a gigantic crush on. "Fine… But I'm still gonna worry about you a little bit. You're my sis after all…" Mabel relented before disappearing back into the throng of teenagers. She knew all about her sibling's feeling towards the wrestler and hoped she wasn't setting herself up for a disappointment.

Trey carefully picked the woozy fifteen year old girl off the floor and put her into a bridal carry position. Mabel was impressed by how easily he had managed to do so. Sure, he was in great shape and was used to picking up people much heavier than her, but the feat left her at a loss for words. Either that or it was a combination of the booze and the head injury she had just suffered. Regardless, she loved every second of it as he carried her up the stairs and headed towards a bedroom that was unoccupied by hormonal teenagers that were making questionable life choices. Placing her down on the bed, he made every effort to make sure she was comfortable. After being reassured for what seemed like the tenth time that she was, he pulled a desk chair from across the room and placed it next to the bed. A single lamp on a side table provided the only light in the otherwise dark room. Pacifica appreciated the lack of light, as it had made her head hurt immensely downstairs. "Look… I'm sorry that I hurt you. I feel really, really bad about the fact that I ruined your night…" the much larger boy said in a relatively soft voice. "Hey, it takes two. Besides, it was an accident. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going…" Pacifica replied. "Yeah, where were you heading to in such a rush? Wherever it was, it must have been important for you to not see somebody my size…" Trey asked the teen girl. "Honestly… I was looking for you" she admitted while her cheeks began to take on a more rosy hue. "Me?" was all that Trey could say in response to her comment. "Y-Yeah… I wanted to talk about something…" the brunette and silver haired girl explained. "Well… What was it?" he inquired. It was time to do or die for Pacifica Kathleen Pines.

"I… Uh… I-I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out sometime" the young woman said as she felt the weight of the world lift off of her. Whether or not he responded favorably to her request, she was still glad that it was at least out in the open. "I'd like that" Trey simply replied. Pacifica had braced herself for the worst and had almost dismissed the fact that he would accept her offer of a date. Needless to say, she was surprised that he had agreed. "Really?!" the brown and silver haired girl replied. "Yeah… If we're being honest here… I kinda wanted to ask you the same thing. I just was working up the guts to ask you tonight" the athletic teen boy responded. He was popular, attractive and socially active. She wondered what he had seen in her when practically every other girl at Gravity Falls High had been throwing herself at him. She was damaged. Her demeanor was less than cheery most of the time. What could she have to offer to him? "No way…" Pacifica said in disbelief. "I don't know what it is, but I really want to get to know you better. I mean, sure, you're the smart girl who has a prosthetic arm and all, but I can't help but feel that you're so much more than that. Call it a curiosity, but I want to see who Pacifica Pines really is" Trey explained. Pacific melted as she heard her crush shower her with complements.

Pacifica's head was swimming in a cocktail of alcohol, head trauma and hormones. The boy she had pined over for more than a year had just agreed to go out on a date with her. Not only that, but he had revealed that he harbored feelings for her as well. It all felt like a dream to Pacifica Kathleen Pines. Surely she'd wake up from it at any moment. Perhaps the fall to the floor had killed her instantly and she was simply in heaven. Regardless, she hoped that it was in fact reality; that Trey Paulson had reciprocated her feelings. She closed her eyes for just a moment, but awoke to a frightened teen boy sitting in a chair beside her. "Pacifica! You're not supposed to fall asleep after getting knocked out!" he said to her in a concerned tone. "Wha? Oh!? Sorry…" she replied; her voice full of confusion. "It's alright" Trey said with a chuckle. She liked how he was trying his best to take care of her. She was sure that it wasn't his first time he had helped take care of someone who was unwell. "I take it that you've seen somebody else get knocked out before…" Pacifica said as she tried to stay awake. " _Yeah…_ _My Mom…_ " Trey replied as he sighed. The fifteen year old girl was certain that he had misspoken or confused who he was talking about. "Y-Your Mom?" she asked in an unsure tone. " _Yeah…_ Let's just say that there's a reason we moved halfway across the continent before I started high school" he said. Part of Trey wondered if he had messed up by revealing his less than stellar home life to the girl he had feelings for. He wanted her to like him for who he was, not pity him for his situation.

The young woman sat still in the bed as she thought of how to respond to such a shocking revelation. He had just revealed something to her that she doubted he had ever shared before. If she had any doubts about his intentions before, they had been erased by the comment. Surely someone wouldn't just bring up something like that unless they trusted the other person in the conversation. "Trey… I-I…" she began while still forming a reply in her head. "Pacifica… I-It's fine. It was a long time ago. She's much better now. We're much better now. It was dumb of me to bring up" he responded. The hazel and sapphire eyed girl wondered what he had meant by stating that they both were better. Her mind immediately began to think of the worst and she could only hope that it wasn't the case. If it were, she felt even worse for her crush; perhaps even a bit guilty. While her parents had disagreements from time to time, they had never escalated beyond them raising their voices. Even then, they were careful not to do it in front of their daughters. She couldn't contemplate her parents getting physical with one another. She fought back the urge to cry at such a troubling thought. Trey had noticed the sudden change in the demeanor of Pacifica and sought to steer the conversation back in a more positive direction. " _So…_ About this date…" he said. The fifteen year old's eyes went wide as she wondered where he was going with his thought. " _What about it?_ " Pacifica replied in a flirtatious tone. "What were you thinking? I'm down for just about anything…" he said as she noticed a blush form on his cheeks. "What about… Hmmm… Oh! I know! We can grab a bite to eat at Greasy's!" she said. Pacifica hoped he would be receptive to her offer to dine at one of the oldest establishments in Gravity Falls. 'YEAH! I _LOVE_ THAT PLACE!" he replied enthusiastically. Part of Pacifica wanted to ask him what else he loved, but she thought better of it. Perhaps it was a bit too early to start throwing out the "L" word. They hadn't even gone out on their first date yet for crying out loud! The two teens continued to converse in the bedroom as night fell on Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, this chapter focused a bit more on Pacifica. I felt like she needed a bit of a win here, so I gave it to her. What else will she learn about Trey? What will he learn about Pacifica? How does Ariel play into all of this? Answers to all of these questions and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Marshmello / Kane Brown – "One Thing Right"

A Great Big World – "Younger"

The Chainsmokers / Emily Warren – "Side Effects" (A song that I pictured playing as Pacifica walked across the room to speak to Trey)

Halsey – "Nightmare"

Jonas Brothers – "Only Human" (Seemed like a song that would play at the party)

The Him / Maria Hazell – "Found Me"

Above & Beyond, Seven Lions & Opposite The Other – "See The End"

Herve Pagez & Diplo / Charli XCX – "Spicy"

Lil Peep & iLoveMakonnen / Fall Out Boy – "I've Been Waiting" (The song I'd play when Pacifica has her eyes shut after the whole admission of feelings between her and Trey)

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

P1). Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

1). A Shooting Star Falls

2). Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

4). The Dark Days Of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

8). Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

9). The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

10). Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

12). Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	19. Chapter 19

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Nineteen: The Secrets That We Keep**

Mabel Pines found her crush standing near the fridge in the kitchen. "So… Your sis gonna be alright?" Shaun asked before taking yet another sip of his mixed drink. "Yeah… She hit her head pretty hard, but Trey promised to stay with her and make sure that she's alright…" the auburn haired girl replied. She was worried for the well-being of her sibling, but trusted Trey to let her know if things changed for the worse. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be alright. Probably just trying to get his attention is all. You know how thirsty some girls can get" Shaun said as he handed Mabel red plastic cup that contained an unknown brew. "Excuse you?! Pacifica wouldn't just go and give herself a concussion in order to meet a guy… I mean, c'mon dude… Really?!" she replied in an irritated tone. "I-I… That's not what I meant at all!" Shaun stuttered as he tried to reign the young woman back in. "Well… It kinda came off that way" Mabel replied as she took a whiff of the drink he had offered her. "It's a rum and cola… Same as what I have. I-I'm sorry if I offended you…" the sandy haired boy interjected. Having figured out what he had made for her, she took a big swig of the mixed drink. "So, you wanna go find a place that's a little quieter?" Shaun asked the young woman. "I-I don- "the ginger girl began to reply before being cut off by her crush. "C'mon, Mabel… It'll be fun… I promise…" he said to the petite teenager as he grabbed her wrist and guided her hand to his washboard abs. She felt the intoxication of both the alcohol and raging hormones washing over her; absentmindedly nodding her head as she agreed to follow him down a hallway. Opening a white wooden door, the two found themselves in what appeared to be a guest bedroom. Mabel stumbled into it before she finally was able to catch herself against a wall as Shaun closed the door and the drone of the party faded away from both of them.

Ariel remained on the deck, where she slowly sipped on her drink. She didn't like the flavor, but felt obligated to consume it. "Go talk to a boy… Take some shots… C'mon, cut loose and act like a human for once in your life" the voice in her head told the white haired young woman. The fifteen year old still wondered where it had come from and why it was suggesting that she do things that were wildly out of character for her. Still, she enjoyed the opportunity to be her own person and relished the chance to be in control of her own destiny, even if it were only for a single night. She walked into the kitchen to find it full of teens that were all intoxicated to some extent. " **HIM!** **KISS HIM NOW!** " the voice commanded her. Almost as if her body were under someone else's control, her arms reached out to a slightly shorter boy and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. Ariel had no idea what she was doing, as she had never even held hands with a boy before, let alone French kissed one. At first he resisted, but soon accepted what was happening to him. The lip-lock seemed like it had lasted an eternity, but in reality lasted a few moments. Letting go of the random teenager, she took note of the dazed look on his face. She had rocked his world and the room full of high schoolers had watched it all go down. "WOO!" a girl exclaimed from the far side of the room. Ariel felt the world rush back to her and sprinted towards the restroom out of a mixture of both shock and embarrassment.

Slamming the wooden door shut, she dashed to the sink and grasped the marble countertop before gazing at herself in the large mirror that hung above it. Her cheeks had taken on a crimson hue as she felt the heat radiate off of them. Her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest at any moment and her mind was awash in feelings she never knew she had. As much as she had felt embarrassed by the whole ordeal, part of her wished it had continued a little bit longer. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" the voice rhetorically asked the confused teen girl. "Yeah…" she admitted with a whimper; not quite sure of what was going on with her body at the present moment. "Who are you?! Why are you telling me to do all these crazy things?! Why me?!" Ariel asked in a desperate tone; although she felt that her query would likely go unanswered. "Am I going insane?" she asked aloud as tears began to fill her sapphire eyes. "Oh no, honey… You're perfectly sane. Well, maybe I should rephrase that… You're as sane as someone in your position could ever hope to be…" the voice replied. "Wait?! Y-You can hear me?!" the white haired girl exclaimed with shock, as she was certain that she was indeed losing her mental faculties. "Duh" it replied to her in a sarcastic tone. "I want to know why. Why me? Why now? Who are you?" Ariel said as she wiped the tears from her sapphire colored eyes. "All in due time... First though, I need you to do something for me…" the voice replied. "What? Go get blackout drunk and do God knows what with another boy?! What self-destructive thing are you going to make me do next?! Do I even have a choice in the matter?!" Ariel wondered aloud as she heard a knock on the door. "You okay in there?" a soft female voice asked with genuine concern. "Y-Yeah! Totally! Sorry! Be done in a sec!" the young woman replied. Turning on the faucet, Ariel cupped her hands and splashed her face with some cool water. "You sweet, sweet, innocent child. You have no idea, do you?" the voice added as it faded away. After drying her face, she opened the door and rejoined the party; a feeling of confusion consuming her as she wondered just what the voice had insinuated.

Grendy and Courtney had been dancing along to the music in the shallow end of the pool when a group of girls approached them. Courtney had been dreading this moment ever since she had been invited to the party, but knew it was going to happen eventually. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" a girl with dirty blonde hair asked as she waded over to the couple. "Ugh… Why now? Why tonight? I just wanted to have fun, damn it!" the ginger girl thought to herself as her former best friend continued. " _So_ … Word on the street is that you two are a thing now…" the girl said as a look of shock came over Courtney's face. She wondered how they had found out, since the only people she had told were her cousins and close friends. She didn't know how to respond to the news that she had been outed. While she wasn't trying to hide her relationship with Grendy, she wanted to have some time to ease people into the idea of her being in a relationship with someone of the same sex; especially her parents, who she felt wouldn't take the news well. "Hannah, how did you know?" she replied in a soft tone. "The joys of living in a small town… Secrets don't stay secrets for very long…" Hannah replied as a sly smile formed on her face. " _ **PLEASE…**_ You _**HAVE**_ to keep this to yourselves… I-If my parents find out, they'll throw me out on the street!" Courtney pleaded as the rest of the girls surrounded her and Grendy. "So… Which one do you figure is the man?" another girl chimed in. "I bet its 'Stretch' over there… After all, her parents are huge dykes…" Hannah said while pointing at Grendy. "We don't need to stand here and take this shit…" Courtney said as she took the hand of her crush and forced her way through the girls. Climbing out of the pool, the redhead thought that would be the end of it, but they were soon joined on the concrete deck that surrounded the pool. "Who the fuck do you think you are!? You can't just blow us off like that…" Hannah said furiously. Courtney continued to walk away before she felt a hand grab her shoulder, which spun her around. "Don't you turn your back on me when I'm talking to you!" Hannah shouted at the ginger teenager. Grendy saw her girlfriend ball up her fist and knew what was about to happen. No amount of pleading would change the mind of the fifteen year old. The Corduroy blood that pulsed through her veins had boiled over and the time for talking was over.

Courtney swung and hit Hannah right in the nose; knocking the girl out instantly. " **K.O.!** " a boy from the crowd shouted as the dirty blonde haired girl fell to the floor below. "Ugh! Shit!" Courtney groaned as she felt the pain radiate through the hand she had just struck the antagonistic teen with. "C'mon G, we're outta here!" the ginger girl said as she took the smaller digits of her crush and led her away. "You'll pay for this, Corduroy!" one of the girls screamed as the couple walked back towards the house. Once inside, she grabbed a dish towel and opened the freezer to retrieve some ice. Her swollen digits were coated in blood and a smile formed on her face. "OMG… Y-Your hand!" Grendy exclaimed as she caught sight of what was likely the broken hand of her girlfriend. "Yeah… I might feel that one in the morning…" the emerald eyed girl remarked in an indifferent tone as she grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the counter. She struggled to both keep the ice on her injured hand and remove the cap on the bottle. Grendy grabbed the glass container and screwed off the metal top before handing it back to Courtney. "Thanks, G… I'm sorry for what they said about you. You didn't deserve that. I can't believe I was ever friends with her or any of those douche canoes…" the young woman said while looking her girlfriend in the eyes. Putting the bottle up to her lips, she took a large swig of the amber liquor. "It's fine. Ignorant people tend to have nothing better to do than to pick on people they perceive as different or weak. It's a story as old as time unfortunately…" the gangly teen girl replied in a somewhat sullen tone. "How are you gonna explain this to your parents?" Grendy asked as Courtney handed her the bottle. "I'll just come up with some bullshit story about closing my hand in a door or something… I'm sure I can find someone to back up my story, _right_?" the teen said with a wink. "Don't worry… I got you, C…" Grendy reassured her before taking a swig of the whiskey herself.

Pacifica and Trey had been talking for the better part of an hour and a half as he tried to keep her awake. The two teens had really gotten to know one another and discussed everything from sports to their favorite movies. A knock on the bedroom door interrupted an intense debate as to which Star Battles move was the best. Pacifica was a fan of the original series of films, while Trey had liked the more recent ones. "I swear… If it's some more people trying to use this room to hook up…" the sandy haired boy remarked in an annoyed tone as he got up from his chair. Much to his relief, it was Courtney Corduroy and Grendy Grenderson, who he knew were friends with his crush. "H-Hey… W-We headin' out… You good to come back to Grendy's?" Courtney said as her speech had begun to slur from the alcohol she had consumed over the course of the evening. Pacifica noticed that her cousin's hand was wrapped up and wondered what kind of mess the young woman had gotten herself into this time. "I-I think so…" the silver and brown haired girl replied as she looked at Trey. "Try to stand up. If you can keep your balance, I'd say you're okay…" the teen boy advised her. She took her time getting up from the bed and slowly rose to her feet. The young woman was uneasy for a moment, but after taking a few steps, felt that she was alright to travel. "I'd still take it easy for the next few days. You're probably gonna feel like you got hit by a car in the morning, but that's pretty normal. Just avoid bright lights, loud noises and anything that can jostle your head around, okay?" Trey said as she shot her a smile. "Pacifica returned the grin and wrapped him up in a hug. "Thanks for taking care of me Trey. Greasy's can't come soon enough…" the fifteen year old said. "Definitely" he replied as he watched the trio exit the room. He couldn't believe how he had literally run into the girl that he held feelings for and how well he had gotten to know her. While he had wished it had happened another way, he was still glad that he had gone to the party.

"So… When's the wedding?" Courtney asked her relative in a playful manner. "W-Wedding?! W-We haven't even gone on a date yet!" Pacifica replied in a panicked tone. "Just kidding… Geez! But seriously… I totally caught this vibe going on between you two…" the auburn haired girl explained. "I felt it too! You guys seem perfect for each other!" Grendy chimed in. "Kay… So we just gotta grab Mabey-Baby and then we can go back to G's place" Courtney said as they made their way back downstairs. Walking through the house, the trio couldn't help but take in some of the drunken debauchery that was taking place. Mike, the superstar quarterback of the high school football team, was puking into a potted plant and Katie, a sophomore who played field hockey was knocking back shots like they were water. Making their way out to the deck, they spied Mabel, who was leaning over the wooden railing. "Hey Mabes… Ready to leave?" Pacifica asked her twin. "Yeah… Let's get the fuck outta here…" the usually cheery girl said in an agitated tone. "You alright there, cuz?" Courtney asked. "Everything's great" she snapped back. The trio of friends knew something was up, but decided that Mabel would fill them in when she was good and ready to. Until then, they would simply try to stay in her good graces. "So… Aren't your parents gonna wonder why we're coming home at such a late hour?" Pacifica asked Grendy. "Nah. Mom is in Vegas at a competition and Candy is in her lab, working on some important project for the government. She probably wouldn't have noticed if he hosted the party ourselves…" Grendy replied while her friends wondered where the animosity between she and her parent had come from. The girls were about halfway home when Mabel finally broke the silence of the night. "So, how'd you fuck up your hand?" the fifteen year old asked. It was extremely out of character for Mabel to curse, so it immediately piqued the interest of Pacifica, Courtney and Grendy. "You know Hannah?" she asked her cousin. Mabel nodded that she indeed did know the young woman. She and her group of friends had been the resident mean girls of Gravity Falls for the better part of their childhood. In fact, Hannah and Courtney had been as thick as thieves until Courtney began to change her ways. Perhaps that was why the dirty blonde haired girl had begun to pick on both her and Grendy. "Well… She and her group of bitches were trying to start shit with me. I really tried to be the bigger person and walk away, but she put her hands on me. Then, I broke her face… And possibly my hand" Courtney explained. "It's true… Hannah said that word was going around that we were dating…" Grendy added. "Speaking of which, I thought we decided to keep that between us" Grendy continued while giving Mabel and Pacifica a suspicious look. "Hey, don't look at me. I know how her folks are. My lips are sealed…" Pacifica said as she closed the imaginary zipper on her mouth. "I didn't say shit either…" Mabel grumbled as she looked at the ground and kicked a rock down the road with her tennis shoe. "Well, the only other person that knows is Mateo… _Wait a minute_ … **DAMN IT!** It was him, wasn't it?!" Courtney said as it finally clicked in her head. The anger she had felt earlier was returning once more. "We'll have to talk to him about it tomorrow…" Grendy said in a serious tone as she put her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder in a feeble attempt to calm her down. "He better have one damn good explanation, or so help me God I'll break my other hand when I knock his fuckin' ass out!" the auburn haired fifteen year old remarked as she balled up her fists; the pain radiating from her right hand reminding her that it hadn't been the best idea to do so.

It was a little after one in the morning when the quartet of girls had arrived back at Grendy's house. Sure enough, it was almost as if nobody was home. The door to the basement was cracked open ever so slightly and a soft blue light emitted from it, as well as the voice of the petite Korean-American woman speaking in her native tongue. Grendy knew she only spoke Korean whenever she was angered, so she was fairly certain that the project wasn't going according to plan. They made their way up to the lanky fifteen year old girls' room and began to settle in for the evening. Pacifica was worried about how her sister had been acting on the walk home. Sure, she had been drinking, but they had done it a few times before and the auburn haired girl had never reacted to it in such a way. She knew that something was wrong, but didn't want to risk further irritating her sister. "You're sure that you're alright?" Courtney asked Pacifica as she was snapped away from her thoughts. "Y-Yeah… I feel a whole lot better than before" the sapphire and hazel eyed girl replied. "Good to hear, cuz…" Courtney replied before letting out a yawn. While the other girls quickly fell asleep, Mabel continued to stare at the ceiling of her good friend's room. For the fifteen year old girl, slumber would not come so easily. Not after what she had experienced at what was supposed to be nothing more than a fun summer party in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 **Author's Note:** So, I know my chapters are taking longer to come out, but I'm trying more of a quality over quantity approach. So, to address the elephant in the room, what do you think happened to Mabel? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Why does Grendy show a bit of animosity towards Candy? Will word of Courtney and Grendy's relationship make it back to Courtney's conservative family? If so, will they react as harshly as she anticipates? Will she get her broken hand checked out by a doctor? What will happen when she sees Mateo? Just what kind of fun did Dipper and Wendy get into with the house to themselves? Answers to all of these questions and more you didn't even know you had in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. - iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Camila Cabello – "Shameless"

Billie Eilish – "All The Good Girls Go To Hell" (This song made me think of Ariel)

Marshmello / Kane Brown – "One Right Thing"

Backstreet Boys – "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"

5 Seconds Of Summer – "Easier"

Delacey – "My Man"

Shura – "religion (u can lay your hands on me)"

PVRIS – "Hallucinations" (Made me think of what Ariel is going through with the voice in her head)

Young The Giant – "Heat Of The Summer" (If this were a TV show, I'd end the episode with this song)

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

P1). Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

1). A Shooting Star Falls

2). Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

4). The Dark Days Of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

8). Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

9). The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

10). Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

12). Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story


	20. Chapter 20

**Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story**

 **Part Twenty: This Action Will Have Consequences  
**

Ariel Gleeful had lost track of time as she downed yet another drink. She liked the newfound feeling that the elixir filled her with. It was as though everything was right with the world and her head was as light as air. After hanging out on the deck for a while, she made her way poolside, where she hoped to meet up with her friends and figure out their plans for the rest of the night. Little did the white haired girl know that they had already left the party. She had struck up conversations with a few random kids, but longed to hang out with the girls who had invited her. " **YEAH!** " she heard a male voice call out and turned around to see a young man being congratulated by his friends. "Who knew she was so easy? M-Maybe I have a chance with her?" another boy chimed in. "Did you see what she was wearing? She was practically begging for it…" a third teenager added as Ariel tried to figure out who they were talking about. "I could have told her to jump off the roof and she probably would have done it for me…" the young man said in a very distinct accent that the fifteen year old girl couldn't quite discern. Perhaps he was Australian? A round of laughter was heard from the group as they headed off towards a group of girls.

" _Your friends aren't coming… They left almost an hour ago_ " a familiar female voice said as Ariel was startled by its reappearance. "WHAT?! NO!? They wouldn't do something like that…" the white haired girl said with disbelief. " _It's true. You didn't even cross their mind…_ "the disembodied tone replied. A sullen look formed on the face of the usually cheery young woman. "I-I thought tha-" the alabaster skinned teenager started to say before being cut off. " _You thought wrong. They don't care about you_ " the voice said. "T-They don't?" Ariel asked as tears formed in her hazel eyes. " _You would think that if they did, then they'd have told you that they were leaving, right?_ " it asked her. The young woman pondered what the disembodied voice had said. The more she thought about, the more she realized a haunting truth; it was right. " _They're just the latest in a long line of people who have lied directly to your face. You poor thing… You deserve so much better than that_ " the voice added in a tone that conveyed pity for the teenage girl. "W-Who else has lied to me?!" Ariel asked; afraid of what the possible answer could be. " _Well… Perhaps that's best left for another time. However, I do know how you can get back at those girls who ditched you…_ " the voice said as it began to set its plan into motion. "I-I'm not sure that I want to get back at them… In fact, I just don't want them to talk to me ever again. I'd be alright with that…" Ariel said with a sigh. She realized that it would probably feel good to get some measure of revenge on the girls for hurting her feelings, but also knew that it would be incredibly petty and mean spirited. Instead, she wanted to cut them out of her life and move on. If only it had been that simple. Perhaps, all of the ensuing unpleasantness could have been avoided. " _If you let them treat you like that, you'll never get anywhere in life. People have to know that you do not disrespect Ariel Arlissa Gleeful and get away with it. That choosing to hurt you has consequences_ " the voice commented. What it said had made a lot of sense to the fifteen year old girl and she agreed to hear it out.

Mabel tossed and turned on the carpeted floor as she tried to shake the memories of what had transpired only a scant few hours ago. To be honest, she didn't remember a lot of it and that frightened her more than anything else. Only the aches in her body hinted that something sinister had taken place. She wanted to do nothing more than wake her sister up and tell her what she was pretty sure had happened in the room with Shaun. At the same time, she had never felt more embarrassed and ashamed of herself in her life. She decided to hold off on telling anyone for now, because she wasn't sure if she even could. Instead, she continued to stare up at the ceiling while the other girls slept; rest only coming to her when her body finally forced her to close her eyes. She dreamed of what she thought would happen if she told her sister and her parents. Of course, Pacifica would be right by her sister's side. Her mother would rush her to the hospital to be tested and her father would want to murder the boy who dare violate his daughter against her will. The news would certainly pick up on the fact that one of Gravity Falls High School's most elite athletes had been accused of such a heinous act. Mabel wasn't sure if she could handle everything that would come along with it.

" _All I need is for you to get a book for me…_ " the voice said to Ariel continued to sit beside the pool. "Like, from the library?" the young woman asked in a hopeful tone. " _I'm afraid not. That Pacifica Pines girl has the one that I'm after_ " the voice replied. "Okay… So I'll just ask her for it then?" the silver haired girl inquired. " _I doubt she'd just give it to you. She's grown quite fond of it and the knowledge it contains. I'm afraid you'll have to take it_ " the voice said. "Oh… I-I don't know if I could do that. That'd be stealing and I'm not a thief…" the white haired fifteen year old girl replied. " _It's just a book. I'm not asking you to take the shirt off her back or anything. Seriously, this is why those girls ditched you. You're just too much of a goodie-two-shoe. Besides, after you get this book for me, I'll tell you everything like I promised. You do want to know who's been lying to you, don't ya?_ " the voice responded as it hoped to elicit the response it wanted. "Well… yeah. I guess you're right. It's just one book" Ariel hesitantly agreed. " _Hey, maybe there's still hope for you yet. Now, let's go get ourselves a bit of revenge…_ " it said to her as a smirk formed on the face of Ariel Gleeful.

Mason and Wendy Pines had fallen asleep on their couch as a terrible monster movie droned on in the background. What had started as the couple trying to relive their younger years by watching the Gravity Falls Bargain Movie Showcase had met the reality of the fact that they were now thirty-somethings with twin teenage daughters. Cuddled under a fluffy fleece blanket, they were unaware of the fact that their home was about to be raided by a girl and the malevolent voice that resided inside her mind. Ariel Gleeful carefully walked up to a window on the side of the home and peered into it. The flicker of the large flat screen television was the only source of light in the house and it helped the fifteen year old girl catch a glimpse of its residents. Was she really about to commit breaking and entering while the couple slept? What if they were to wake up while she was in the home? " _What are you waiting for?_ " the voice asked as Ariel had a crisis of conscious. "N-Nothing! Just thinking of the best way to go about this is all…" the white haired girl replied in an indignant tone. Walking around the back of the home, she spied an orange ladder lying against the foundation. There were three windows to choose from, but something inside her directed her to the one on the left. She carefully picked up ladder and placed it against the two story house. Much to her relief, it didn't make much noise and she soon began to ascend it rung by rung.

As luck would have it, Ariel found that the window was unlocked and slightly ajar. Lifting it up, she straddled the windowsill and climbed inside the dark room with the stealth of a ninja. The young woman thought she was in the clear until the window decided to fall down; a loud thud reverberating through the two story home as though it were a singular bolt of lightning on an otherwise clear and calm night. Panic filled the mind of Ariel Gleeful as she froze in place. The fifteen year old could only hope that the disturbance hadn't managed to awaken the twin girls' parents and given her away. For a fleeting moment, the white haired teen thought she was in the clear and was about to resume her search when she heard faint murmurs coming from the first floor. Glancing around the dark room, she looked for any place she could take refuge if the voices drew closer. The outline of what she presumed to be a closet door seemed the best place to conceal herself if the need arose.

"Ugh…" Wendy groaned as she was stirred from her slumber by a sudden loud noise. She looked around to find the television airing an infomercial for some military grade pair of sunglasses. Although she didn't know the exact time, the thirty-something woman knew it had to be the wee hours of the morning. "Hey Dip… Did you hear that?" she asked her lover while gently waking him. "Huh? Wah? No…" the chestnut haired man replied in a groggy voice as his eyes fluttered open. "It sounded like it came from upstairs" Wendy said as she got up from the couch and walked over to the closet. "Wen, it's probably nothing…" Dipper said as he let out a yawn. "But what if it isn't?" she said while emerging from the closet with an ax. "Then shouldn't we call the cops?" Dipper said in a slightly annoyed tone as he got up from the couch. "In the time it would take for them to respond all the way out here, we could both be dead…" Wendy said in a very matter of fact way. "You check down here. I've got upstairs…" the redhead said as she twirled her ax and a bit of a smirk formed on her face. If Dipper didn't know any better, he'd have thought that his wife wanted to find and confront an intruder. "Alright then…" the father of two said with a sigh as he watched the love of his life ascend the staircase.

Wendy choked up on the wooden handle of her trusty ax as she approached Pacifica's room. Wondering if the girls had perhaps come home early from their supposed sleepover, she knocked lightly on the door. "Paz? Are you in here?" she asked. Having been met with no response, she slowly opened the door and flipped on the light switch. The mother of two let out a sigh as she took in the sight before her. Clothes were strewn all across the floor of the teenage girl's room and her bed looked as though it hadn't been made in days. Her desk was no better, as notebooks, pens, pencils and her laptop were strewn upon it; a chipped blue plate with a slice of pepperoni pizza stacked perilously on top of it all. The auburn haired woman had to think about when they family had even ate pizza last. It was over a week ago by her best guess and she assumed that this slice had been there nearly as long. "Ugh! Girl, how do you even live like this?!" she said to herself as she began to pick up the clothes from the hardwood floor. Peeking through the small crack in the closet door, Ariel's heart began to pound in her chest as she saw Wendy getting closer and closer. "I mean, it's not that hard to put your dirty clothes in the hamper, Paz…" the freckled mother grumbled to herself as she put her hand on the closet door. Ariel knew that this was it; she would be discovered and have to explain why she had snuck into their house. The fifteen year old could only hope the Pines wouldn't get the law involved, as she didn't want to have to explain to her father why she committed a felony. "Wait a damn minute… Why am I cleaning up her mess?" Wendy pondered to herself as she continued to hold the doorknob in her hand. "You know what? She can clean this pigsty up herself!" the auburn haired woman said as she threw the clothes back down on the floor and walked out of the room. Ariel let out a sigh of relief as the light flicked off and once again the room was plunged into almost total darkness. The white haired girl was now free to once again search for the book that the voice in her head told her to take.

Opening the door across the hall, she walked into Mabel's room. Flipping on the light switch, she was met with a much more pleasurable sight. The room was very neat and orderly; every single item having a place and a purpose. "See! This is what a room is supposed to look like!" Wendy said as she marveled at the cleanliness of Mabel's room. After taking a quick gander around to make sure it was safe, she moved on to next set of doors in the hallway. On the left side of the hallway resided a linen closet that Wendy wouldn't even bother investigating, as nobody would be able to fit inside of it. Across the hall on the right was the bathroom that the teenage girls shared. Once again gripping her ax, she opened the door and flipped on the light switch. It appeared to be unoccupied, but there was still one place a person could hide. Opening the door to the shower, she was relieved to find it empty. Wendy wasn't sure what had caused the noise, but she became less convinced that it had been from somebody or something trying to break into her home. Still, she would investigate the master bedroom just to make sure.

Dipper had cleared the first floor and wondered how his wife was doing upstairs. He hadn't heard any commotion, so he assumed that all was well. Walking to the fridge, he removed the gallon of milk from it and proceeded to drink directly from the carton. He knew that if Wendy were to walk into the kitchen at that exact moment, he'd never hear the end of it. "Hey Dipper! Can you come up here?" he heard his lover call from the top of the stairs. "Everything alright, Wen?" the chestnut haired man asked in a somewhat concerned tone. "I-I just wanted you to check something out…" she replied as her voice trailed off. "Yeah. I'll be right up" he said while putting the milk back in the fridge. He wondered what she could want, but was glad it didn't seem to carry the urgency that facing off with a home intruder would have. After clearing her bedroom, Wendy had a bit of a wicked idea. It had been a decent amount of time since the couple had the home to themselves for a night and while they had intended for it to lead to a romantic encounter, their bodies had betrayed them before they had the chance to act on their primal urges. Dipper arrived at the top of the stairs and noticed the light coming from their bedroom at the end of the hall. The door was barely cracked and his curiosity once again began to get the better of him. "Hey Wendy, you in there?" he asked. "Yeah… Are you coming here or what?" she replied in a lighthearted tone that had ended with a slight chuckle. He opened the door to find his wife dressed in just a green flannel button up shirt and a very familiar trucker cap. "I-I… Uh… Wow…" the thirty-three year old man stuttered as he tried to express himself. A smirk formed on the freckled face of Wendy Pines as she knew she had successfully managed to fluster her lover.

Ariel had resumed her search for the magical tome, but had little luck in locating it in the messy room. She wanted to turn on the light, but wasn't sure if the coast was clear to do so. Instead, she continued to fumble in the dark. Down the hall, things were getting heated in the master bedroom and Wendy decided to put on some music. Ariel heard the muffled tones of an old R&B song and wondered what the mother of her newly minted foe could possibly be doing. She knew the house was in a very remote part of town, so the noise likely wouldn't bother anyone despite it being the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps the auburn haired woman and her lover were dancing in their bedroom? If that were they case, Ariel reasoned that they wouldn't notice if she turned a small desk lamp on to aide in her search. The dim yellow light cut a path through the dark that while small, was at least slightly helpful. Scanning the room, she saw something on the bed catch the light just right and glimmer for a brief moment. Walking over, she saw the object that hand been described to her. By the fifteen year old girl's best estimate, the grey book had to contain almost a thousand pages. Lifting it up, she was surprised by just how heavy the tome was; seven or eight pounds she guessed. The large purple gemstone that adorned the well-worn cover seemed a little much to Ariel, but she was still captivated by the beauty of it.

"Excellent!" the voice in the white haired teens head exclaimed. "Now what? Ariel asked the spirit. "Get out of here and turn to page 618. Read the incantation and you'll never hear from me again" it replied. A sense of joy filled the fifteen year old girl, as she just wanted this whole ordeal to be over with. "What about your end of the deal?" Ariel reminded the voice. "Of course, my darling. I promise I'll tell you who is taking advantage of your kind heart by telling you such wicked falsehoods…" it replied. Opening the window once more, she made her escape down the ladder and placed it back where she had found it. The whole walk home, the young woman had thumbed through the massive book, as her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She didn't understand the vast majority of it, but knew that it held great power. After sneaking back into her house, she opened the book to page six-hundred eighteen and began to recite the Latin phrase that was written down in dark black ink. If only Ariel knew the price of deal she had made with the demon that had haunted her.

 **Author's Note:** So, it's been a little while. Life has been nuts for me, but I never stopped thinking about this story. I want to thank my faithful readers for patiently waiting for this installment. I may post one more before the end of the year, but it depends on how things work out for me. I hope that you all enjoy! Until next time, remember… I know lots of things… -iKLOT

 **My Playlist For This Chapter:**

Motionless In White – "Voices"

The 1975 – "People"

CHVRCHES – "Death Stranding"

Fall Out Boy – "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"

Joywave – "Obsession" (This song made me think of how the voice is corrupting Ariel)

Himalayas - "Thank God I'm Not You"

Des Rocs – "Let Me Live/Let Me Die"

Poppy – "X"

 **The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:**

P1). Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel

1). A Shooting Star Falls

2). Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story

3). Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story

4). The Dark Days Of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story

5). Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story

6). Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story

7). Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story

8). Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story

9). The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

10). Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story

11). The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story

12). Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story


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